


Summer Love

by shipsandglitter



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Confessions, Drama, Flirting, Flirty!TJ, Fluff, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, It takes TJ a hot sec but I swear he gets there ya'll, M/M, Mutual Pining, TJ is a bit of a bad boy bc why not, Underage Drinking, miscommunications, slight angst, they're like 17/18 in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-24 10:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19721902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipsandglitter/pseuds/shipsandglitter
Summary: “This doesn’t mean anything,” he said, in a whisper this time.TJ looked down at him with a fond smile, bringing a hand up to run through Cyrus' hair.“Okay,” he whispered back.~Or the one where Cyrus finds himself hanging out with TJ Kippen towards the end of the school year, despite various warnings. TJ invites him and his friends to a resort for the summer. Drama ensues.





	1. Strike boy

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO I WAS STRUCK WITH MOTIVATION AND I WROTE THIS IN A DAY I HOPE IT'S OKAY!!

Cyrus was never really one to sleep late, particularly on school days. But the previous night he’d discovered a tv show on Netflix and well...things had gone downhill from there. In a flash it was 4 am and he _still_ had one episode to go. He had felt like a zombie the whole day, listening in class but not really taking anything in, drifting down the corridors mindlessly, zoning in and out of conversation. Being summer, the warm sunlight pouring in through the windows wasn’t exactly helping matters, either. 

Buffy and Marty were chattering away opposite him at their lunch table, and although he really _did_ try not to he couldn’t help but zone out, eyes fixed on the trail of crumbs he was currently trailing with his fingers.

_Only two more periods, only two more periods, only two more-_

“Cyrus? You okay there?”

For someone so exhausted, Cyrus snapped out of his haze in what seemed to be an instant, giving Marty an apologetic smile.

“Sorry. What were we talking about?” 

Buffy scoffed. “Remind me to never let you sleep late again.” 

Cyrus groaned miserably, burying his face in his hands and rubbing harshly at his eyes. “My fragile body wasn’t designed for all-nighters.” 

“No ones body is,” Buffy deadpanned, “it doesn’t seem to stop people, though.” 

“We were discussing who’s dad is better at baking cookies, by the way,” said Marty. 

Cyrus lifted his head from his hands. “Oh, well that’s easy. It’s my dad.” 

“That’s a straight up lie,” Buffy huffed, “have you even _tasted_ my dad’s cookies?” 

Somehow, amongst the bustling sounds within the cafeteria, a voice spoke up. A voice that seemed to be addressing them, but honestly, Cyrus was so tired that he wouldn’t be surprised if he’d imagined it.

“I hate to break it to you guys, but my dad would destroy all of your dads in any baking contest!” 

Buffy and Marty whirled around in their seats almost immediately, eyes darting around the crowded cafeteria space for the source. 

_Okay. So he didn’t imagine it then._

“Were they even talking to us?” Marty whispered. 

Buffy’s eyes landed on a table not so far from them, squinting sceptically. “Yeah, I think they were. And I think I know who, too.” 

Cyrus sighed heavily, directing his gaze towards the table Buffy seemed focused on. He immediately began to feel more awake when he noticed the duo that was sitting there, chatting animatedly as though they’d never stopped. 

“Please don’t tell me it was Amber. I prefer it when she’s ignoring us,” Cyrus said, dropping his head down onto the table with a gentle thud. 

Marty shook his head. “No, I think it was Andi. She seems cool so it was probably a joke.”

“They’re missing hair gel guy,” Buffy observed.

Cyrus couldn’t help but laugh. “He doesn’t even _wear_ hair gel anymore, Buffy.”

“What should I call him, then? Player boy?”

“...Hair gel guy is good.” 

“Even though player boy is pretty fitting,” Marty mused. 

Cyrus shrugged, getting up from his chair. “At least he’s not straight. Anyways - I need to go ask my photography teacher for some help with my project, but I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

Marty snorted. “You have a point. We’ll see you later, Cy.” 

“Text us!” Buffy added with a smile.

Cyrus gave them one last wave before heading off, weaving his way through the cafeteria crowds. He reached the corridor easily enough, sighing slightly in relief at the silence that settled around him as the double doors closed behind. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows, golden now that late afternoon was nearing. The sky outside was clear, and somehow that fact alone put somewhat of a spring in his step. It was a welcome reminder that Summer vacation was only a few weeks away now, and that he’d only have to struggle through a few more final assessments. 

He came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the hallway, nearly facepalming at the realisation that hit him. 

_He had no idea whatsoever where his teacher’s office was._

Asking teachers for help was always an anxiety-inducing task for him, so he tried to avoid it wherever possible. Somehow, he’d survived the semester without knowing where his own teacher’s office was. _Great_. 

He just shook his head, too tired to get mad at himself, and whirled around to walk back towards the cafeteria so that he could ask Buffy and Marty where her office was. 

A surprised yelp very nearly escaped him when he came face-to-face with TJ Kippen however, who was giving him an amused smile. 

“Sorry. You just seemed lost,” he said.

Cyrus blinked at him for a few moments, opening and closing his mouth to respond but not quite knowing how to. 

TJ nodded, as though witnessing this kind of behaviour was an everyday occurrence for him. “Are you trying to get somewhere? Maybe I could help.” 

Cyrus cleared his throat, snapping himself out of his trance somehow. “Yeah, I’m trying to get to Mrs.Gordon’s office.” 

TJ hummed. “That’s a bit of a hike. I can show you the way if you want.”

Cyrus raised an eyebrow at him, folding his arms over his chest. Some of his shock had faded now, and he was able to very pointedly remind himself that this was _TJ Kippen_ he was talking to.

“You wanna take me to her office? Why?”

“Because I’m a kind person obviously,” he smiled, “and you look like you need help.” 

Cyrus continued to level him with a sceptical look, before turning back around with a sigh. “I’ll be fine.” 

He felt a gentle hand wrap around his arm, preventing him from moving forward. Cyrus inhaled sharply. 

“Are you sure about that?” 

For a brief moment, he was convinced that his tired brain was somehow imagining all of this, but TJ’s grip on his arm seemed to be enough evidence that all of this was very much real. 

He slowly turned back around, eyes flickering from TJ’s face to the hand he still had wrapped loosely around his arm. 

“No,” he admitted quietly, stomach twisting.

TJ dropped his arm, and for a stupid, fleeting, moment Cyrus almost felt disappointed. They looked at one another for a moment, and suddenly he understood why TJ was so good at bouncing between relationships the way he did. Not that he cared what the boy did with his spare time, of course.

He pointedly turned and began walking away, shaking his head. “Okay, you can show me.” 

“So I have permission now?” TJ teased, jogging slightly to catch up and fall in step with him. 

“Yup,” Cyrus responded, throwing him a sarcastic smile.

TJ just rolled his eyes, although it seemed fond more than anything. Cyrus threw him another glance, only to find that the sunlight filtering in was falling onto his face in an almost perfect fashion. It lightened his hair and made his eyes seem as though they were sparkling, and _wow, how on earth was any of this fair?_ He let out a huff and turned his gaze to the corridor ahead. 

“I’ve seen your photography around the room,” TJ told him suddenly, “it’s really good.” 

Cyrus shrugged. “It’s not any better than anyone else’s. Including yours.” 

“Are you kidding?” he asked with a laugh as they turned left around a corner. “It’s _way_ better than mine. And other people’s. To me, anyway.” 

Cyrus narrowed his eyes sceptically. He couldn’t figure out if the boy was being genuine, and it was somewhat off-putting. 

“...Thanks,” he settled on replying.

Silence filled the air around them for a few moments, and Cyrus found himself unable to stop glancing over at the boy. 

“I’ve been to a couple of your friend’s basketball games,” TJ piped up again. 

Cyrus immediately perked up at that. “Buffy? Yeah, she’s really good. She started the girl’s basketball team in the first place and got them off the ground even though they all started out inexperienced,” he bragged. 

TJ gave him an amused smile. “Well now I know what you like talking about. Your friends.”

He felt himself blush slightly at that. “She deserves it.” 

“So do you,” said TJ, and Cyrus would be lying if he said his heart didn’t melt the tiniest amount. 

“You’ve only just started talking to me,” he responded with a scoff. 

TJ stopped in front of a glass door, with Mrs.Gordon’s nameplate hanging above it. They were facing each other now, and TJ was smiling, softer than before. 

“That’s all I need.” 

Cyrus just shook his head, turning to the door and peering inside. There was a discarded coffee cup on the desk, alongside a jumble of papers and stationery. The lights were off, but there was still sunlight seeping in through a small window near the roof. 

“It’s empty,” he murmured. 

TJ frowned at that, eyes scanning the room as though she’d magically appear there out of thin air. “Maybe she had a meeting?” 

“Maybe,” Cyrus agreed, feeling another wave of fatigue begin to kick in. 

“Why did you need to see her, anyway?” asked TJ, reaching out to place a gentle hand on Cyrus’ arm, “also, are you okay?” 

Cyrus shook his head again. “I needed help with my project. And I’m fine, just tired.”

“I’m sure you could ask her tomorrow, it’s only due by next Monday.” 

He nodded in agreement, before bringing a hand up to stifle a yawn. It was warm in the corridor, seeing as the air conditioners were all inside the classrooms, and Cyrus was beginning to feel hazy. 

TJ’s eyebrows furrowed slightly with concern. His hand travelled from Cyrus’ arm to his shoulder. “I usually wouldn’t recommend this, but I think we should get you a red bull from the vending machine so you don’t pass out during the last two periods.” 

“I don’t have money,” he responded with a shrug, “besides - I’ll be fine.” 

TJ raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “No offense, but you look like you’re about to fall asleep standing. I mean, you still look cute, if you’re worried about that-“ 

Cyrus couldn’t help but laugh slightly at that. “I’m really not.” 

“Let me get you one,” TJ insisted. “I have like 4 bucks on me.” 

He considered it for a moment, before nodding reluctantly. He really _was_ tired after all, and he didn’t doubt his ability to somehow fall asleep during his last class.

“Okay,” he agreed. “...Thanks.” 

TJ waved him off though, hand hovering by Cyrus’ back as he led the boy back down the corridor. They reached the vending machine that was callously pushed into a corner outside of the cafeteria, and TJ came to a stop. 

“Let’s see...Red Bull is...number 45.”

Cyrus watched as the boy pulled his wallet out from his pocket, fishing around for some coins. He typed the number in, and soon enough a red bull can was tumbling down, falling into the collection area. He reached down to grab it, before straightening again and holding it out to Cyrus. 

“Thanks,” he smiled as he accepted the can. 

He walked over to the wall beside the vending machine, which was particularly dark corner given the lack of windows, and slid down it. 

“I’m staying here,” he announced, eyes fluttering shut, “I don’t wanna deal with the crowds in there.” 

He heard footsteps approach him, then he felt TJ sit down beside him, so close that their shoulders were practically pressed together. Cyrus took a deep breath, before hesitantly lowering his head onto the boy’s shoulder.

“This means nothing,” he murmured, as he blindly opened the red bull can.

He couldn’t see the boy, but he knew then that TJ was probably smiling.

“Okay,” he murmured back, wrapping an arm around him.

~

The world seemed to travel by in slow motion when TJ, Andi and Amber walked by in the corridors. There was a reason they were popular after all, and a majority of eyes seemed to gravitate towards them if they were in the general vicinity. It was another clear blue day, and Cyrus was leaning back against his locker, Marty and Buffy stood in front of him. With each day that brought them closer to summer holidays, the chatter within the corridors became more and more lively. Class work was beginning to wind down as teachers concentrated on final assessments, and a sense of anticipation lingered in the air around them. 

Even Buffy and Marty glanced back briefly as the trio passed by them. TJ’s gaze met his, and the expression on his face seemed to lighten. Cyrus could’ve sworn he winked, but he decided to put it down to his all-nighter from two days ago. Amber’s gaze met his too although, as per usual, the look on her face immediately darkened. He sighed and turned back to his locker, eager to look elsewhere.

As he began taking books out from his bad a note fluttered down to the ground, and he frantically reached down to grab it, heart in his throat. 

Buffy seemed to be alerted by the sudden movement because she stepped forward. “What’s that?” 

Cyrus just shook his head, shoving the note into his pocket. “Nothing,” he smiled, “I have Math soon so I should probably leave.” 

He grabbed his books and closed his locker with a wince at the resulting bang, before turning around and hurrying away. He managed to weave his way through the crowds with minimal bumping, letting out a heavy sigh of relief when he reached his classroom. No one else had arrived yet, which he supposed was to be expected considering he’d left so early.

Subtly wasn’t exactly Cyrus’ specialty, but he tried not to betray any emotion as he pulled the note from his pocket and read over it, somewhat surprised by how neat the cursive scrawled onto it was. 

_967 466 101_

_-TJ xx_

Cyrus really wasn’t surprised. He was sure that TJ had written countless notes like this one, and that it didn’t mean he was anything special. Something about receiving a note like this still seemed to set off butterflies in his stomach though. He had never gotten one after all, and it was still somewhat of a shock to his system that TJ wanted to pursue him of all people. If that’s what this even meant, of course. 

He bit his lip, conflict written all over his face as he stared down at the note, practically burning holes into it. Glancing around nervously, he pulled his phone out from his pocket and created a new contact, typing the number in as quickly as his fingers would allow him. Cyrus hesitated for a moment when it came to the contact name, knowing it would be dangerous for the time being to simply put ‘TJ.’ After wracking his brain, he typed in the vaguest-sounding title he possibly could. 

**Cyrus:** hey 

He looked down at the screen for a few moments, heart racing, before TJ responded.

 **Him:** heyy! maths, right? 

Cyrus glanced up at that, briefly wondering how the hell TJ could possibly know that.

 **Cyrus:** yeah actually, how’d you know? 

**Him:** i can you see you waiting lol 

Shaking his head, he lifted his gaze again and looked around properly. Sure enough, there was TJ at the end of the corridor, sunlight falling onto his face much like it had two days ago. He shifted his books to one hand before waving, the amused smile on his face apparent even from a distance. 

Cyrus let out a small sigh, waving and smiling back sarcastically.

 **Cyrus:** nice note btw, very minimalistic 

**Him:** it usually gets the point across ;)

 **Cyrus:** you’re pretty confident for someone who’s standing all the way down the corridor texting instead of actually talking

 **Him:** was that just a roundabout way of trying to get me over there? 

**Cyrus:** nope! i have class now, anyway 

**Him:** and by ‘now’ u mean ‘in a minute when your teacher comes’ ?? 

**Cyrus:** ...maybe 

**Him:** you’re smiling a lot for someone who’s just messaging someone who means nothing to them 

**Cyrus:** you don’t mean anything to me though

 **Him:** ouch :( 

**Him:** we could change that, you know?

Cyrus didn’t think he’d ever been so grateful to see his math teacher approaching, key in hand. 

**Cyrus:** okay, bye tj! i gtg! 

**Him:** aw bye then! have fun in math ;) 

He bit his lip slightly at that, pocketing his phone and following his classmates into the room. 

After sitting through the next few periods, which seemed to drag by at an agonisingly slow pace, lunchtime eventually rolled around. Cyrus and Marty were making their way towards the hall, where Buffy and her team were warming up in preparation for their game. Now more than ever, there seemed to a bustling air of excitement filling the large space. There were more swarms of people than usual filling the stands, sporting coloured scarves and face paint to support their school team.

Marty did most of the (polite) pushing while Cyrus followed behind, practically clinging onto the boy. They managed to fight their way to a seat near the middle, with Cyrus taking one right at the end of the row so that he could make a quick escape if needed. 

His eyes were flickering between the court and Marty, who seemed to have spotted something the moment they sat down. 

“Remind me again why Amber doesn’t like you?” he asked, eyes trained on a particular spot past Cyrus’ shoulder. 

Cyrus didn’t even want to look. 

“Because I broke up with Iris, remember? When I realised I was gay? Apparently, that broke her heart, and now she thinks I lead her on for no reason and that I’m an asshole.”

“Oh, yeah...that was literally ages ago though, wasn’t it?” 

“Tell me about it,” Cyrus groaned, “I hate having people mad at me.” 

Marty gave his shoulder a sympathetic pat. “She can’t hold onto it forever.” 

“Wanna bet?” 

“No,” he admitted with a laugh, earning himself a playful glare.

The room already seemed to be warming up rapidly from the number of people in there. The large lights above their heads, encased by metal-looking cages for protection, were the only source of light in the hall. Cyrus found himself wishing there was a giant air conditioner to accompany them. 

Suddenly, the sharp sound of a whistle filled the air, signalling the start of the game, and Marty immediately began helping Cyrus hold up his signs. 

The scoreboard was pretty heavily in favour of the Jefferson High team when halftime rolled around. Marty and Cyrus were on one of their breaks from holding up the signs and cheering, largely for the sake of their arms and their vocal cords. 

Cyrus was glancing casually about the hall, eyes scanning over various people, when they landed on TJ. It was hard to miss him, although Cyrus was sure that he unfortunately wouldn’t have missed him either way. He was sporting a bright purple Nike shirt, alongside dark blue denim jeans. The combo was an odd one, to say the least. 

He couldn’t seem to pry his eyes away after that, watching as the boy stood up from his seat and made his way down the stands, all while glancing back at Cyrus. He came to a stop outside one particular door, locating by the entrance, shooting Cyrus one more smile before going inside. 

Cyrus watched the spot TJ had occupied for a few moments, before hurriedly turning to Marty. “I’ll be right back, okay?” 

The boy, despite seeming somewhat confused, gave him a nod. He got up from his seat, leaving the sign in his place, and he was making his way down the stands soon enough with relative ease.

_What was he even doing?_

He didn’t have much time to linger on that thought, although he probably should’ve, before he was arriving at the same wooden door TJ had stopped at. He glanced around nervously, feeling as though there had to be at least one pair of eyes on him, before pushing through hurriedly and closing it behind him, wincing slightly at the bang it produced.

He stepped into a small, bare-looking room with a black vending machine pushed into the corner that looked slightly out of place. The chattering from within the hall had been muffled by the door, which came as a relief. The room was cooler than the hall had been, if only by a few degrees, with a window displaying the clear blue sky outside. 

Finally, Cyrus allowed his eyes to land on the boy sitting at the table.

“Fancy seeing you here,” said TJ, smiling innocently. 

Cyrus would’ve rolled his eyes at that, but the realization hit him that he was the only one to blame for being there in the first place.

He remained where he was for a moment, arms folded. 

“Do you want something?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

TJ just smiled again. “I could ask you the same. You’re the one that followed me here.” 

Cyrus felt his face grow warm at that. “But - I - that's only because...”

 _Shit. Why_ had _he even followed TJ here?_

“Because...?” TJ repeated, eyes sparkling with amusement. 

Cyrus honestly didn’t know what to say for himself, so he decided that deflecting would probably be the best course of action. 

“Well, why do _you_ have a laptop here with you?” 

He honestly hadn’t even noticed the grey laptop sat in front of TJ until a few seconds prior, but it made for a decent distraction apparently because a nervous look immediately crossed the boy’s face.

_Wait - nervous?_

TJ seemed to recover quickly though, because it was replaced almost instantly with his normal one of confidence. “I heard Mrs.Gordon was sick today, so I was going to offer you help with your project. If you still need it, that is.”

Cyrus couldn’t help but smile at that. He walked over to take the seat beside TJ, playfully swatting the boy’s hands around from the laptop and opening a new tab. 

“Basically - I think my crop tool in photoshop is broken. As well as my paintbrush tool.” 

TJ raised an eyebrow at him, a smile tugging at his lips. “That’s it?”

“It’s very important!” Cyrus argued as he typed the password to his email in. 

TJ’s eyes flickered between the laptop and Cyrus, smile softening slightly. “You just need to reset your tool settings.” 

“That’s cool, but I have no clue how to do that.” 

“You’re lucky I’m a photoshop genius then,” TJ teased, mimicking Cyrus’ swats at his arm as he turned the laptop back towards himself. “I’ll show you so you can do it on your laptop.” 

It was a quick process, only requiring a few clicks, and Cyrus couldn’t help but blush slightly as TJ closed the laptop. “Bam! Problem solved.” 

“Thank you,” he smiled, “for saving me the embarrassment of looking like an idiot in front of Mrs.Gordon.” 

“Nah, don’t worry. A lot of people don’t know about it.”

TJ placed a casual hand on the table beside Cyrus’, so that their fingers brushed. Cyrus took a deep breath, meeting the boy’s gaze firmly with his own. 

“You’re pretty great at being a distraction, you know that?” 

TJ smiled innocently. “A good distraction, I hope?” 

Cyrus threw him an exasperated look as he got up from his chair, making his way over to the door. “An annoying distraction, actually.” 

The boy let out an offended gasp. “You are _so_ rude, Cyrus Goodman!” 

He paused for a moment then, hand hovering over the doorknob. “See you later TJ Kippen,” he smiled, before twisting it and stepping back out into the bustling hall. 

~

“So Marty he just-“ Buffy had to take a moment, laughing to herself “he ended up asking the lady at the counter if they sold Chinese food and then-“ another pause, “then she calmly goes ‘sir, this is a pizza joint. We sell pizza.’” 

Cyrus snorted at that, before bursting into laughter, clutching onto the girl. “And you guys said _I_ shouldn’t be pulling all-nighters!” 

“I know!” Buffy laughed, wrapping her arms about him, “I didn’t even know what to do, I just dragged him straight out of there!” 

It was the weekend now, and the duo were currently at their local skateboard park. Buffy wanted to practise, and Cyrus was happy to give her moral support from the sidelines as she did so.

Eventually, when their laughter had died down, Buffy managed to secure her helmet and a pair of knee-pads, grabbing the purple skateboard Marty had gifted her. 

“Call out if you need me, okay?” she said, giving him a pat on the head before jogging down into the ring. 

Cyrus watched fondly as the girl put her skateboard down on the concrete, placing one foot on before kicking off. It had been hard at her at first to be anything but great at something, particularly something physical, but she’d gotten a real hang of it over the past few months. 

It was late afternoon, and sunset was approaching rapidly. Midday had well and truly passed by now, leaving a pleasant warmth in the air rather than stifling heat. 

The orange hue that filled the sky behind Buffy was beautiful, and Cyrus couldn’t resist the urge to take his phone out and take a few quick pictures. 

After about 20 minutes he found himself alternating between cheering Buffy on and scrolling through his phone, which was a system he usually adopted when it came to sport. After what may have been a few minutes too long spent on his phone, he glanced back up to scan the area for Buffy. A gasp escaped him when his eyes landed on the girl, who had her skateboard tucked under her arm as he spoke animatedly to Andi. Andi had a pink skateboard in her grip, and they seemed to be ignoring the skaters speeding past them completely as they talked. 

_Well. That’s certainly not something he expected to see today._

_Wait, if Andi was there, did that mean-_

“Hey, Cyrus!” 

He let out a disbelieving huff at that, turning his gaze towards an overexcited-looking TJ.

“Hey!” he returned, smiling up at the boy despite himself. 

“What are you doing on the sidelines?” TJ asked him.

“I’m cheering Buffy on. Skateboarding isn’t really my thing.” 

The boy held out a hand to him then, hair ruffled slightly by the wind. “Come on, I’ll show you some stuff.” 

Cyrus just shook his head though, feeling a blush begin to heat his face. “No, it’s fine. I don’t wanna embarrass myself in front of all these people, anyway.” 

“Screw them,” TJ said with a shrug, “this park is for everyone.“

“...I was including you in that statement.” 

TJ’s face softened slightly at that. “I won’t judge. I promise.” 

Cyrus wasn’t sure if it was the shockingly sincere look on the boy’s face, or the fact that he looked _unfairly_ good wearing a leather jacket, but he somehow managed to let go of his inhibitions for a moment and take TJ’s hand.

The boy pulled him up, lingering there for a moment, before holding up his helmet. 

“You’ll probably need this first.” 

“It’s very colourful,” Cyrus remarked, trying hard to push down the disappointment that appeared in him when TJ let go of his hand.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” TJ smiled, placing the helmet over Cyrus’ head. 

His eyes flickered from Cyrus’ face to the straps he was adjusting, a smile tugging at his lips. “Cute as ever,” he murmured, giving the helmet an affectionate pat. 

Cyrus shook his head at that, blushing as he turned to the skateboard. Which also happened to be rainbow. He was noticing a definite theme, here. 

TJ’s hand brushed lightly along Cyrus’ waist as he stepped up to the board, and Cyrus would be lying if he said his heart didn’t jump at the contact. 

“So basically, you wanna step on sideways. One foot at the back and one towards the middle,” TJ said softly. 

Cyrus nodded, before stepping up onto the board. He immediately grabbed onto TJ for balance, who placed his hands on Cyrus’ shoulders with a laugh. 

“I’ve got you, don’t worry,” he told him. “That looks good, but maybe move your left foot slightly to the right.” 

“Does this mean I’ve completed step one to being a pro skater?” Cyrus asked him, doing as the boy asked. 

TJ gave him an amused smile. “Are you kidding me? You’re _already_ a pro skater.” 

Cyrus couldn’t help but return the smile, his heart fluttering in his chest as he did so. A glance over TJ’s shoulder confirmed that Andi appeared to be showing Buffy some tricks on her skateboard, and neither of them seemed to have noticed them on the sidelines yet thankfully enough. 

As the sun set continued to set, orange hues were joined by red ones, and Cyrus could see it reflected in TJ’s eyes. He bit his lip, pointedly looking down at his feet. 

“So,” he cleared his throat, “what’s next?”

“Standing on the board by yourself,” TJ informed him, seeming hesitant. “Is that okay?” 

Cyrus nodded. “That’s okay. Just...tell me when.” 

The afternoon continued to pass like this, with TJ eventually getting Cyrus to a level where he could successfully push off and shift his front foot back to the correct position. Buffy and Andi had both noticed them at this point, but neither of them seemed to pay them much mind.

The duo took a few moments to look up at the sky, which had a gradient that seemed to go from dark blue to yellow now. TJ threw him an amused look.

“We’re two photography students standing in front of a sunset and neither of us are taking pictures.” 

Cyrus laughed. “I’ve already taken pictures! You’re the odd one out here.” 

TJ stepped closer to him, smile turning fond. “Well I mean, I _would_ , but then I’d have to look away from you for more than two seconds.”

“I can’t believe you,” Cyrus scoffed, but he was smiling too now.

“Yeah. I _am_ pretty great.” 

_That_ earned him a playful shove.

~

The following Wednesday afternoon found Cyrus making his way to his locker after having spent an hour or so in the library finishing an assignment. As per usual, the past week or so of sunshine had finally given way to rain. He could hear it pattering against the roof as he reached his locker, glancing about the empty corridor for a moment. Silently, he found himself cursing the fact that he’d forgotten his umbrella at home. 

With a sigh, he turned up the volume on his earphones and began packing his bag, preparing himself to face the elements. 

Cyrus saw, rather than heard, TJ place a hand on the locker beside him. He immediately pulled his earphones out.

“TJ. What are you doing here?” 

He turned around and leaned back against the locker, regretting the decision almost immediately because _holy shit,_ TJ still had a hand on the locker beside his head and the space between them was pretty much nonexistent.

TJ lingered there for a moment, seemingly on purpose, before dropping his arm with a smile. “I had detention.” 

Cyrus couldn’t help but scoff. “Of course you did. What exactly did you do this time?”

The boy rolled his eyes at that, watching fondly as Cyrus pushed his locker closed and slung his bag over his shoulder. 

“I wish I could say it was something exciting, but Andi and I were just making too much noise during class.“

Cyrus hummed. “Sounds like you.” 

“Rude! I guess I’ll just have to keep my umbrella for myself then.” 

His eyes immediately widened at that, darting down to the umbrella he hadn’t even _noticed_ TJ was holding. 

“Wait!” he gasped out, unable to fight back a smile, “I didn’t mean it, I swear!” 

TJ shook his head as they began to walk, wrapping a casual arm around his shoulders. “Like I wouldn’t have shared it either way.”

“How far do we both walk the same way, again?” 

The boy paused for a moment, right by the double doors that lead outside. He seemed hesitant all of a sudden. “You could always come over. I mean - if you want to, of course. I was probably gonna just watch movies anyway.”

Cyrus considered the offer for a few long moments, gaze shifting from the nearby window, which had rain pouring down it, to TJ, who had a bright smile on his lips. 

He hesitated for a moment longer, before nodding. “Yeah, actually. That’d be nice.” 

“Great!”

TJ unfolded his rainbow umbrella, raising it above Cyrus’ head as they pushed their way through the glass double doors. He had his other hand rested gently on Cyrus’ back, as though he was guiding the boy through a crowd. Cyrus tried _very_ hard not to dwell on the fact that it almost seemed to be a protective gesture. 

Walking to and from school wasn’t something Cyrus particularly enjoyed, especially in the rain, but TJ somehow seemed to make the trip bearable. His arm had moved from Cyrus’ back to his shoulders, pulling him in close so as to shield him from the rain. He could feel those stupid butterflies making an appearance again as he leaned in despite himself, looking up at the boy with a gentle smile. 

“You’re tall,” he observed, and TJ let out a laugh.

“You’re short,” he returned, “and cute.” 

“You keep saying that,” said Cyrus, looking away hurriedly to conceal the blush warming his face.

“Because you keep not believing me.” 

He bit his lip at that, heart fluttering as he looked up at TJ again. “Have you used that line before?” 

“Never,” TJ smiled.

Cyrus just huffed at that, trying to keep his freaking out very much internal. He was painfully aware of TJ’s reputation, and Marty’s seemingly constant warnings to stay away, and that he was probably just another person TJ was calling cute, but _god_. It was so unbelievably hard to care when he had someone, a _boy_ , looking at him in the way TJ did. 

Everything had faded away by the time they reached TJ’s house until it was just them, walking along an empty street with wet pavement as trees rustled around them, a rainbow umbrella above their heads. 

“You can leave your bag here,” TJ told him as they took their shoes off. “I’ll get you a jumper too. I literally can’t believe you wore just a shirt.” 

“I didn’t read the forecast,” he whined in response, smiling when the boy rolled his eyes and gestured for him to follow him down the hallway. They reached a room that had a plate reading ‘TJ’S ROOM. PERMISSION MUST BE REQUESTED TO ENTER’ hung on the door handle, which Cyrus couldn’t help but giggle at. 

“Are you sure I can come in, Teej?” he asked teasingly, standing in the doorway. 

TJ gave him an amused smile, before reaching out to gently tug him inside. “Yes, you nerd.”

Cyrus scanned over the room for a moment, his smile softening. There were rainbow fairy lights hung up on the wall, and a warm lamp in the corner, creating a stark contrast to the gloomy atmosphere outside. TJ walked over to close his blinds.

“Oh right! A jumper. Hang on, I have lots,” he said suddenly, walking over to his wardrobe.

Cyrus heard, rather than saw, the boy rummage around for a w moments, before pulling out a relatively dark blue sweater. He turned it around, and it took Cyrus a few seconds to fully realise what TJ was trying to show him. 

“It’s that picture I posted to Instagram! Of the southern lights!” 

TJ nodded, laughing slightly at the amazed expression that had appeared on Cyrus’ face. 

“I posted that ages ago though,” he blushed, moving forward to examine it. 

TJ shrugged. “I thought it was nice back then so I got it printed. I _still_ think it’s nice.”

Cyrus accepted the sweater with a smile, pulling it over his head and wriggling into it. TJ gave him a fond look, smoothing his hands down from the boy’s shoulders to his arms. 

“Not to sound like a broken record, but-“

“I look cute,” Cyrus finished for him. 

“Exactly! Now you’re getting it.” 

“What?” Cyrus spluttered after a moment, looking after the boy as he made his over to the bed and sat down. “That’s not what I-“ 

“No take backs!” he interrupted, opening his laptop, “you just admitted to being cute.” 

Cyrus just shook his head, moving forward to settle down on the bed beside TJ. The jumper was warm, and soft, and it smelt faintly of the cologne, and _wow_ , Cyrus was almost inclined to try and steal it somehow. 

They started out watching the movie (a cheesy rom-com TJ had found on Netflix) with a friendly distance between them, leaning up against the wall with the laptop placed in the gap between them. As it progressed, and the room grew darker, he noticed TJ gradually shuffling closer. He pretended not to notice, although that proved to be somewhat task. Eventually, the laptop ended up on their laps instead of between them. 

Cyrus took a deep, steadying breath, trying hard to calm the butterflies in his stomach down. He glanced over at TJ, who seemed fixated on the movie, and casually tried to shift closer. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the boy direct a smirk at him. He inhaled sharply as TJ closed the remaining distance between them, so that their shoulders were pressed up against each other. 

His heart was beating wildly away in his chest as he hesitantly lowered his head onto TJ’s shoulder, much like he had the previous week.

“This doesn’t mean anything,” he said, in a whisper this time. 

TJ looked down at him with a fond smile, bringing a hand up to run through Cyrus' hair.

“Okay,” he whispered back.

~ 

“You’re meeting with TJ, aren’t you?” 

It was the question Cyrus had dreaded the whole car trip, sitting in the passenger’s seat of Marty’s car as he watched houses go by. It was nearing Saturday now, and dusk was nearing. Pink clouds filled the sky above their heads, and for a fleeting moment, Cyrus had almost forgotten where they were headed. 

Marty looked over at him, expression serious, and Cyrus let out the breath he’d been holding. “Yeah. I’m sorry.” 

The boy just sighed. “He’s trouble, you know?” 

They were parked by the bowling alley TJ had invited him too, watching through the windscreen as the last remnants of light in the sky faded. 

_Maybe trouble didn’t have to be so bad_ , he thought.

Cyrus swallowed. “He’s nice to me.” 

“He’s nice to everyone while he’s trying to impress them.” 

“I never said anything about wanting to date him. I just...wanna be friends with him. He’s fun to be around.” 

Marty scoffed, looking knowing in a way that had Cyrus’ stomach twisting. “Just be careful, okay? That’s what everyone says.” 

“How do you know so much about him, anyway?”

Cyrus seemed to have struck a nerve of some kind, because Marty’s face darkened slightly. He immediately tried to backtrack. 

“I’m sorry, it’s just-“ 

“I get it,” Marty said with a tight-lipped smile, “and I’m not gonna stop you from hanging out with him.”

Cyrus gave him an apologetic smile and leaned over, wrapping the boy up in a hug. “I love you.” 

“Love you too,” he murmured back. “Are you still down for our sleepover tonight?” 

“Of course! TJ said he can drop me off.” 

“Cool. I’ll see you later, then?” 

“I’ll see you later,” Cyrus confirmed with a smile, before opening the car door. 

Cool evening breeze washed over him as he folded his arms over his chest, approaching the entrance to the bowling alley. Leaves were rustling in the trees around him, and the sky had officially darkened, stars beginning to dot it. 

TJ was waiting for him by the entrance, looking up immediately from his phone as the glass doors slid open. 

“Hey!”

Cyrus smiled, pushing Marty’s warning to the back of his mind. “Hey! Are we ready to go?” 

“Yup! We just need bowling shoes,” said TJ. 

The duo made their way over to the counter, and Cyrus took a moment to appreciate the neon lights that lit up the room, lining the floors and the countertops. It was darkened mostly, apart from the bowling lanes, and there was hushed chatter coming from varying groups of people, along with the sounds of bowling balls smashing into pins. 2000’s pop hits were being played on the small TVs above each lane, and in the corner there seemed to be a few arcade games, flashing with varying colours amongst the darkness. 

The lady at the counter asked for each of their shoe sizes, before handing over two pairs of shoes. 

‘Baby’ began to play as they made their way over to the lane, and Cyrus took full advantage of the opportunity by holding a pretend microphone to his mouth, dramatically mouthing the lyrics to a smiling TJ. 

“Baby, baby, baby, oh!” 

The boy laughed slightly, before joining in on the dramatic rendition. 

Cyrus couldn’t see his face properly until they approached their lane, stopping their performance for a few moments as they sat down on the retro-looking couch and put their shoes on. Even the lanes seemed to be lit by neon lights, although it was less apparent due to the light above their heads. 

“I’ve just realised something,” he said, looking out at their lane. 

TJ stood up, stepping forward to stand beside the boy. “What’s up?” 

“This is my first time bowling without bumpers. So this’ll probably be an epic fail for me.” 

TJ just shook his head though, turning to face him. “No it won’t! I’ll give you some pointers,” he insisted. 

Cyrus definitely wasn’t opposed to that idea, so he shrugged and gave him a small nod. “If you don’t mind.” 

“Not at all. Just choose a bowling ball and we’ll go from there.” 

He eventually settled on a bowling ball that wasn’t overly light or overly heavy, carrying it over to where TJ was stood with relative ease. 

“Okay! I’m ready to bowl.” 

TJ positioned himself behind Cyrus, hands lingering on his waist as he positioned his feet. 

“A bit further apart...yup that’s good! Now - bend your knees slightly and keep your bowling arm as close to your side as possible.” 

He gave the boy a thumbs-up, before stepping away. 

“Can I close my eyes?” Cyrus asked. 

TJ snorted. “If you want.” 

“Great!” 

He stepped forward towards the line, squeezing his eyes shut, before leaning forward slightly and rolling the ball. He kept his eyes closed even once he’d heard it make contact with the pins, jolting slightly when TJ let out what was practically a scream. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” 

Cyrus immediately opened his eyes at that, gaze falling on the screen above their lane. There was a large ‘X’ in his first panel, and it took him a moment or two to process what that meant before he was letting out a surprised yelp of his own, turning frantically to TJ. 

“I got a strike!” 

“You did!” the boy confirmed with a laugh, stepping forward to pull him into a tight hug. 

“TJ!” he giggled, as he felt himself being lifted off the ground.

“What?” came the innocent response, and his smile widened. 

The boy spun him around for a few moments, and Cyrus let out another yelp, unable to keep from laughing as he looped his arms around TJ’s neck.

A few minutes later he watched from the couch as TJ had his turn, knocking down all the pins except one. Cyrus gave him a smug smile as he stood up. 

“What’s the matter? Having bowling difficulties?” 

He rolled his eyes, giving him a fond look as he passed. “Watch yourself, strike boy.”

Cyrus, by some sort of miracle, managed to get a spare during his next turn. TJ was practically gaping at him as he returned to his seat, looking even more smug than he had before. 

At some point over the next hour ‘Toxic’ came on, and TJ began lip-syncing as he turned to Cyrus, waiting on his bowling bowl to come back around. 

“Oh, the taste of your lips I’m on a riiiide,” he mouthed, gaze remaining firmly on Cyrus.

As Cyrus watched on, feeling a blush heat his cheeks and a smile tugging at his lips, he had a feeling deep down that he was completely and utterly _screwed_.

~

The sun had set by the time Cyrus, Buffy and Marty arrived at TJ’s house, lingering outside the front door for a moment. 

“This is definitely it, right?” Buffy asked. 

“I can already hear the music, so yeah probably,” Marty remarked. 

Cyrus shivered slightly, tugging at his jacket as he approached the front door. “Let’s just go in, I might die of hypothermia otherwise.” 

Sure enough, when they stepped inside the party was already in full swing. The lamps and the candles that Cyrus had seen during his first visit had been replaced by a disco ball and flashing neon lights, filling the darkened space as they fought their way through the swarms of people. It was boiling on the dance floor compared to outside, and Cyrus found himself shrugging off his jacket as he made his way over to the kitchen, bumping into a few people. There was loud, pounding music filling his ears, and he was honestly beginning to feel somewhat hazy already.

“Are you guys gonna drink?” Marty yelled over the music. 

Buffy and Cyrus exchanged a glance at that. The trio were usually ones to stay sober during events like these, but from the look on Buffy’s face alone he could tell that the shots lined up on the counter were tempting her. 

“I might have a shot or two!” he decided on calling back. 

Marty nodded, reaching over the marble countertop to grab two shots. He handed one over to Cyrus, who felt butterflies filling his stomach as he looked down at it, then one to Buffy. 

Cyrus didn’t know what it was, and honestly, he wasn’t sure if it wanted to know. All he knew was that it burned down his throat when he tipped his head back and sculled it. He coughed for a few moments, face screwed up slightly, before setting the glass down on the counter. 

“Sometimes I wonder if getting drunk is even worth the taste,” Marty said with a wince. 

Cyrus glanced around, panic flooding his system at the sheer amount of people that seemed to be filling the house, and reached over to grab another shot. He gulped this one down with a few sips this time, wincing with each one, before setting it down on the counter. He could already feel warmth spreading through his body, from his chest to his fingertips, and he let out a relieved sigh, before grabbing another and downing it. 

“You okay, Cyrus?” Buffy asked him, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

He could only manage a nod. “We should go check out the dance floor!” he announced, grabbing the girl’s hand and guiding her out of the kitchen. He heard Buffy laugh from behind him, happily going with the flow. Marty was following close behind, looking on in amusement. 

His heart leapt when he heard the song that was reverberating off the walls in the living room. 

“They’re playing Chase Atlantic!” 

“Chase _who?_ ” Buffy asked him, but the boy was already heading towards the centre of the room, coloured lights flashing across his face as he raised his arms above his head and began dancing, somewhat awkwardly, along to the chorus. He could feel his inhibitions fading with each second that passed, the room around him blurring slightly as the alcohol kicked in. Buffy was joining in soon enough, and the duo danced carelessly along to each song that came on.

Somehow over the next half hour he managed to lose both Buffy _and_ Marty amongst the crowds, and he retreated to a nearby leather couch to rest for a few minutes. He was glancing casually around at the dance floor when he eyes landed on TJ, leaned up against the wall. He set an empty shot glass down on the display cabinet beside him, face illuminated in bursts by the flashing lights. His gaze met Cyrus’, and a smile immediately came to his lips. 

When he began heading towards the staircase Cyrus didn’t hesitate to follow him, weaving his way through the makeshift dance floor and pausing at the bottom of the staircase. TJ was stood outside of a bedroom door now, still giving Cyrus a small smile. He glanced around for any sign of Buffy or Marty, before shrugging and heading up the staircase, movements somewhat delayed.

He pushed through the door, being greeted immediately by a small room with a couch and a TV. A lamp was flicked on in the corner, and he approached the boy with none of his usual hesitance. 

“Why do you keep disappearing into rooms and expecting me to follow?” he asked, amused. 

The boy smiled coyly, sitting down on the arm of the couch. “You’re here, aren’t you?” 

“I can’t help my curiosity,” said Cyrus, collapsing down onto the couch. 

“How much have you had to drink?” TJ asked him.

Cyrus waved him off. “Not much. Like - 3 shots? Everything’s kinda blurry, but apart from that I’m fine.” 

“Well...I think you could probably use some fresh air, either way. Let’s go out onto the balcony.” 

Cyrus didn’t object to that, simply standing up and following the boy over to the curtains. He drew them apart, before pushing the glass sliding door open. TJ looked back at him and gave him a fond smile, before stepping out onto the balcony. Cyrus followed suit, sliding the glass door closed behind him with some effort. 

He was immediately hit with cool air, but with how warm he felt at that moment, it wasn’t an overly huge shock. The night sky was clear, dotted now by various stars, and the sounds of chirping crickets filled the air, louder now in comparison to the music downstairs. 

TJ gestured to a chair beside him, and Cyrus took it gladly, looking out at the sky for a moment. The fresh air cleared his head slightly, and he didn’t feel so hazy anymore as he looked over at the boy. 

“I’m cold,” he declared, shuffling over to him.

TJ gave him a knowing smile. “Are you?” 

“Yup,” he lied, before resting his head against the boy’s shoulder. He wrapped his arms around TJ’s waist, pulling him in. 

“So you’re using my body heat to combat that, then?” TJ asked him, obviously not caring in the slightest. 

Cyrus just nodded, smiling when he felt TJ’s hand find his hair. 

“This still doesn’t mean anything,” he murmured, snuggling into his side. 

TJ laughed slightly. “Repeating that isn’t gonna make it any more true, strike boy.” 

“Let’s just pretend then,” Cyrus whispered back, before letting his eyes flutter shut. 

~

The first thing Cyrus registered the following morning was the wafting smell of pancakes. He blinked a few times, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the light, before glancing casually around at his room. 

Except - this wasn’t his room. In fact, it seemed a lot like _TJ’s_ room.At that realisation he was up in an instant, hurrying out through the door and into the kitchen where morning sunlight was pouring in through the windows.

“Hey! You’re up!” 

Cyrus looked between TJ, who was stood in front of the stove flipping _pancakes_ , and all of the shot glasses that had been set out to dry on the counter. 

_Great. So the party hadn’t all been one big dream._

He remained rooted to the spot, shock flooding his system as the realization hit him that he must’ve fallen asleep on TJ last night. 

“But - Buffy, Marty, they-“

“Know exactly where you are,” TJ finished, flashing him a reassuring smile, “I mean, Marty wasn’t too keen, but he didn’t wanna wake you up so he agreed in the end.” 

A tiny smile appeared on Cyrus’ face at that. He glanced down at his clothes, only to find that he was wearing the same shirt and jeans combo he’d been wearing last night. 

“There are clothes on the bed, and a toothbrush,” TJ told him, which had Cyrus nodding and rushing back towards the room. 

He made quick work of changing into the sweatpants that TJ had left there, as well as a white shirt. He felt about ten times more refreshed when he walked back out, having brushed his teeth and smoothed his hair down slightly

Jumping up onto the counter, he watched as TJ continued to flip the pancakes.

“You sure know how to win someone over,” he remarked, only half joking. 

The boy threw him a smirk, before nodding his head towards the counter. “There’s something there for you.” 

Cyrus looked down towards the marble counter, where a red origami heart was placed, and he’d be lying completely if he said his heart didn’t flutter. 

“How did you know about my obsession with origami?” he asked him, biting his lip as he looked down at the heart. 

“Buffy and Marty made you some for your birthday,” TJ responded, not a trace of embarrassment apparent in his tone. 

Cyrus could barely contain a smile at that. “It’s nice to know that you stalk my Instagram.” 

“It’s solely for research purposes,” TJ insisted, placing the last pancake down on the plate and turning off the stovetop.

“Also,” he paused for a moment, stepping up casually to where Cyrus was sat on the counter, “I think it’s a well-established fact at this point that I think you’re cute.” 

Cyrus looked down at his lap, burying his face in his hands. “You need to stop saying that.” 

He peeked at TJ through his fingers, only to find that the boy was giving him a fond smile. “And why would I do that?” 

“I might die,” Cyrus told him, as he slowly removed his hands from his face again. 

TJ tipped his head to the side for a moment, and it might’ve been a trick of the light but Cyrus swore the boy’s gaze flickered momentarily down to his lips. 

“I’ll be right back,” he murmured, before heading towards his room. 

Cyrus could still feel himself blushing as he lowered himself down from the counter, looking after him for a moment. 

When TJ emerged again, wearing _glasses_ now, Cyrus swore he very nearly collapsed to the ground. He decided at that moment that TJ in glasses should absolutely _not_ be allowed under any circumstances.

“Pancakes!” the boy smiled, transferring the plate over to the table. 

Cyrus shot TJ a disbelieving look as he sat down, patting the chair next to him. 

_This asshole knows exactly what he’s doing,_ he thought darkly, before making his way over and sitting down. 

“I have a proposition,” TJ said suddenly, as he placed a pancake on Cyrus’ plate.

He raised a questioning eyebrow. “Okay, then. Hit me.” 

“My dad owns a resort not too far from here, and I usually go up there over the summer with some friends. I think I could get a free room for you, Marty and Buffy.”

His eyes widened slightly at that. “Wait, rewind a second, your dad owns a _hotel resort?”_

TJ nodded. “He started living there after my parents split up a few years ago. The only time I really see him is during summer, so I think he tries to compensate by giving my friends and I free rooms.” 

Cyrus turned the words over in his for a moment, eyebrows furrowed. “Okay...is there a catch?” 

The boy winced slightly. “Yeah, there kinda is. If Marty and Buffy wanna go together, then you’ll probably have to share a room with me.” 

Holy shit. _Holy shit._

“Oh...” Cyrus trailed off, trying to conceal the fact that sharing a hotel room with TJ was by no means ‘ _a catch.’_

“I’m not out to my dad yet though, so you’d have to ask your friends to keep that stuff on the down low.” 

He nodded again, swallowing thickly. “I’d also have to ask them if they’re interested, obviously...” 

“Of course. Just...think about it, okay?” 

Cyrus nodded, smiling softly as he stole a piece of pancake from TJ’s plate. “I will.” 

~

“Absolutely not.” 

Buffy gave Marty a genuinely offended look.

“Um, no offense, but are you _insane?_ We’re literally being offered a free summer vacation to a resort!” 

“Yeah, by _TJ Kippen_ ,” the boy reminded her with a sigh, leaning back against his bed, _“and_ he’d have to share a room with Cyrus.”

Cyrus and Buffy exchanged an exasperated glance at that. Marty had always been this way on matters regarding TJ, and neither of them still particularly understood why.

“Marty, I appreciate that you’re trying to protect me and all, but I’ll be fine! This is could be a great chance for us to have some fun together!” 

Buffy clasped her hands together, looking over at the boy pleadingly. “Marty, we can’t go if we don’t have you on board. Pretty please? For us?”

He hesitated for a moment, and Cyrus could practically see the gears in his head turning. 

“ _Fine,_ ” he relented, “but _only_ because now that we’re in a position to, we may as well take advantage of TJ’s resources.”

Cyrus and Buffy both lit up at that, exchanging another glance before tackling Marty in a hug.

“Guys!” he laughed, as he hugged them back.

“The good hair duo strikes again,” cheered Cyrus, to which Buffy gave him an exasperated look. 

“We’re not called that, Cyrus.” 

“In my heart we are,” he sighed as he pulled away.

His phone lit up with a message then, and he glanced down to check it. 

**Him:** hey! did u find out if marty and buffy are interested?

 **Cyrus:** i did! they are :) 

**Him:** yay!! 

Cyrus couldn’t but smile. 

_Sharing a room at a hotel resort with TJ for a few weeks._

_What could possibly go wrong?_


	2. Something Serious

Cramming six teenagers with pre-existing tensions into a three-row outlander for five hours had been a bad idea from the start in Cyrus’ opinion. 

Summer vacation for him had always been a time to let go of the inhibitions that had tightened their grip on him throughout the year. With the constant, looming pressure of exams and passing grades, Cyrus was always quick to spiral and get caught up in the idea that he’d be stuck in a situation forever, despite that not being true. He had time to recollect himself, as well as time to connect with his friends. 

When he thought of summer he thought of late night conversations at the park, he thought of cool sand beneath his feet as he spent evenings on the beach jamming out to 80’s music with Buffy and Marty, he thought of burning his tongue on the roasted marshmallows he’d been too impatient to wait for. 

What he _didn’t_ associate with summer were nagging thoughts of worry, pressing themselves insistently into his mind, or constantly feeling tension. Glancing back at Amber, who he could feel practically burning holes into the back of his head, he came to the realization that if he didn’t do something now that’s what his summer would end up being. 

Cyrus had always been one to seek approval from others after all. He hated being a disappointment almost as much he hated the idea of someone being upset with him, which was why he felt something twist painfully inside of his chest as Amber’s burning gaze met his.

He let out a breath, steeling himself for the conversation to come. 

“Amber, could we talk for a moment?” 

TJ’s gaze, which had seemed shifty for the past few minutes, immediately met his. They’d parked outside of a generic looking gas station that looked relatively modern apart from its faded colour scheme. It was bright outside, particularly as they neared their destination and more temperate conditions turned to ones of stifling heat.

“Sure,” she smiled, although it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Andi shifted some of her bags and got out for a moment, allowing Amber to exit the car. Cyrus climbed out with ease, feeling thankful that TJ had bestowed him with ‘passenger seat privileges’ at the start of the trip. 

Gravel crunched beneath their feet as they headed over to stand by the front of the gas station, shielded slightly from view by a large tank. 

Amber turned to him and arched an eyebrow, prompting him to speak. She looked intimidatingly perfect standing there, wearing a flowy pink summer dress, hair blowing in the wind and sunglasses shielding her eyes. 

Cyrus sucked in a breath.

“Amber, hear me out okay? I...I know Iris was upset about me breaking up with her. And I know it probably seemed like I lead her on for way too long, which, I guess I did. I shouldn’t have. At the time I was figuring a lot of stuff out about...” he paused for a moment, eyes flickering down toward the ground, “my sexuality. And I was trying really hard to make things work with her because I didn’t wanna be gay.” 

The girl’s hard expression softened significantly at that. She lifted her sunglasses from her face, hair tousled by the wind. 

“I guess that makes sense...I mean, I probably should’ve put two and two together when my brother started talking about bringing you and your friends in the first place.”

Cyrus smiled timidly. “It’s not an excuse, but...it’s an explanation? I hope she’s doing okay now, anyway.” 

“She is,” Amber nodded, “I forget sometimes how long ago junior year was...”

“Same here,” he agreed, huffing out a laugh. “So...does that mean we’re good?” 

Her eyes scanned over him for a moment, as though calculating something. A slow smile spread across her face. 

“Yeah. We’re good. I trust TJ’s judgement, anyway...sometimes.” 

The pair crossed TJ’s path as he made his way towards the gas station, giving them an uncertain smile.

“Did she play nice?” he asked Cyrus, earning himself a playful shove from Amber that had him stumbling slightly and kicking up some dust. Cyrus shielded his eyes with a laugh. 

“I’ll take that as a _maybe_ then!” TJ grinned. “Do you want anything while I’m paying for the gas, Cy?” 

Andi, who had also been making her way over the entrance of the station, slowed down for a moment and threw the boy a positively offended look.

“So _we_ have to buy our own stuff, but _Cyrus_ doesn’t? You’re _evil_.” 

Cyrus could feel his face heating up at that, but all of their faces were slightly red from the heat so he hoped it went by unnoticed. He turned to TJ, an eyebrow raised in amusement. 

“Are you giving me special treatment?” 

“Pft, what? Of course not. Don’t listen to her, she’s a known liar-“

“Rich coming from you, TJ!” Andi called over her shoulder, to which Amber snorted. 

“I’m gonna go back to the car, loser. Be quick,” she told him, before lowering her sunglasses and walking off. 

Cyrus still felt somewhat bad about supposedly getting special treatment, but at that point, it felt like the heat was sticking to him with no sign of letting up, and he was eager for something to cool him down.

He linked his arm with TJ’s, looking up at the boy with wide eyes. “I wouldn’t mind a popsicle.” 

The boy let out a laugh as they made their way over to the glass sliding doors. “You really don’t have to try to be cute, you know? You have a natural talent.” 

“Is being cute is a skill now, then?”

The pair were hit with cool air the moment they stepped inside, and Cyrus let out an involuntary sigh of relief. 

“Nope. It’s a game, and you’re winning,” replied TJ, giving his nose an affectionate tap.

Cyrus scrunched his face up as they approached the freezer aisle, leaving barely visible dusty footsteps along the tiled floor. TJ seemed to notice this because he threw him a fond smile. 

“Which flavour?” 

“Um...” Cyrus paused, taking a moment to scan the options, “raspberry!” 

“Raspberry it is!” 

It didn’t take long for them to pay for the gas and the popsicle, and soon enough they were walking back out into the heat. The others had already taken their seats by the time TJ approached, holding open the passenger door for Cyrus.

He bit back a smile, gaze lingering on him for a moment. “Why thank you.” 

Within five minutes they were cruising down the highway again, TJ’s hand rested casually on top of Cyrus’ as thrumming pop music from Amber’s Spotify playlist filled the car. 

~

The evening found Cyrus looking out the large window of his hotel room, face very nearly pressed up against the cool glass. He knew that this was supposed to be a summer resort but somehow he was _still_ blown away completely by how luxurious everything seemed. The interior was all white and sleek, with large tiles spanning the main lobby area and the halls. There were plants placed in corners with black marble pots, and it had taken Cyrus nearly an hour of looking around the place to realise they were fake. There were windows everywhere, allowing a large amount of light to flood the rooms, as well a well-kept pool below filled with bright blue water. 

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a pair of arms circling around his waist, which had him jolting violently and turning around with a startled yelp. 

“TJ!” he accused, but his face was brightened immediately by a smile. 

“Sorry,” he laughed, clearly not meaning it in the slightest. 

His eyes shifted towards the window over Cyrus’ shoulder, before returning to him. 

“Checking out the view?” he asked, stepped over to stand beside him. 

Cyrus turned back around, brain short-circuiting for a moment at the arm TJ still had lingering around his waist. 

“Yeah,” he breathed out. 

The sky had become a gradient of pinks and reds as the sun lowered down towards the horizon. Beyond the resort spanned a picturesque beach, with white sand and blue water, dark in appearance now as the last remnants of light in the sky faded. There were waves crashing continuously against shore, accompanied by the occasional screech of a western gull. 

“I might spend the whole trip just appreciating this view,” he joked. 

TJ tipped his head to the side, a pout forming on his lips. “What about me? I’m a view.” 

“You’re not a sunset though,” Cyrus laughed, playfully pushing him away, “nothing compares to a sunset.” 

TJ threw him a roguish smile as he headed back over the bed. “I can think of something.” 

Cyrus bit his lip at that, turning around to face the boy. “If you say me, I swear-“

“It’s you.” 

Cyrus let out an exasperated sigh as he made his way over and collapsed down onto the white bed covers, right beside TJ. He lifted his head slightly to peek over at the boy. 

“You’re smooth,” he mumbled.

TJ smiled again, rolling over onto his side and propping his head up on his hand

“I know.” 

Cyrus could feel butterflies kicking in now as they always seemed to do, filling his stomach and making him feel jittery. He sat up on the bed and crossed his legs. TJ followed suit, leaving a barely-there gap between them. 

With nothing filling the air around them apart from the sounds of crashing waves and muffled chatter from Buffy and Marty’s room, Cyrus could feel himself getting nervous. He felt his stomach was doing all sorts of strange flips and twists. 

“Can I try something?” TJ murmured, face illuminated only by their bedside lamp. 

Cyrus swallowed thickly, before giving a timid nod. With each second that passed he could feel his anticipation growing, and he couldn’t exactly pinpoint why. It probably _(definitely)_ had something to do with the fact that he was currently sitting alone in a hotel room with _TJ Kippen,_ who’s eyes were roaming his face as though it was the first time he’d seen him in his life. 

“Okay. Tell me if you’re uncomfortable.” 

He placed his hands on the bed either side of Cyrus, before leaning forward slightly. Marty’s warning was ringing continuously through his mind as he looked across at the boy, resolve crumbling with inch he came closer. 

“Still okay?” 

Cyrus nodded again, not trusting his voice at that moment. His eyes flickered involuntarily down to TJ’s lips, and at that point, he knew was screwed. There was a boy in front of him that clearly wanted to _kiss_ him, and he’d be damned if he passed the opportunity up. 

TJ leaned forward slowly, as though calculating Cyrus’ response, until eventually there was nothing but mere inches between their faces. Cyrus had leaned forward too slightly now, hands rested on TJ’s knees for balance. 

“Still okay?” he asked, in a whisper this time. 

Cyrus took in a shuddering breath. “Yeah,” he whispered back.

TJ smiled slightly, before gently cupping the sides of his face and closing the distance between their lips. It was sweet, likely from the slushies they’d bought at their final stop, and soft from the lip balm he’d had no idea TJ was wearing. He couldn’t help the smile that was growing on his face, and he drew back for a moment in an attempt to get rid of it. TJ laughed softly as Cyrus gently pulled him in again by the shirt, trailing his hands up to wrap loosely around the boy’s neck. 

It wasn’t his first kiss by any means - he’d kissed Iris plenty of times during their relationship - but it was certainly the first time he’d felt _this_ bright inside while kissing someone, like a flame had appeared in his chest somehow. 

They pulled away for air, and TJ’s eyes were alight with mischief. “Wanna get out of here for a bit?” 

Cyrus glanced towards the window, where the sky had practically darkened to black, before turning back to the boy. 

“Sure,” he replied, voice slightly unsteady.

He watched as TJ got up from the bed and began carefully sifting through his pile of clothes, before tossing Cyrus the same blue sweater he’d borrowed from him two or so weeks ago. 

“Let’s go then,” he smiled, holding out a hand, and Cyrus couldn’t help but giggle as he accepted it.

After slipping on a pair of shoes and tugging the sweater over his head, he and TJ were padding along the hallways of the hotel, which had darkened significantly since dusk had fallen. It looked completely different now that it was empty, with nothing but pale moonlight streaming in through the windows as TJ guided him towards the exit. 

There were no staff behind the counter as the duo stepped out into the lobby. Their footsteps echoed slightly against the tiles as they approached the glass sliding doors, met immediately by a cool gust of evening breeze.

“So where are we headed?” Cyrus asked him. 

TJ smiled over at him as he intertwined their fingers, eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “The beach.” 

It was a quick walk, one that only required them to pass by a few rows of houses. They descended down a small set of concrete stairs, which became flooded by sand the further they descended. Cyrus shook off his sandals, bending down to pick them up again. 

The sand was cool and grainy beneath his feet, and salty air filled his lungs each time he inhaled, admiring the view for a moment. TJ had an arm wrapped around his shoulders now, warm in contrast to the environment around them. 

Dark waves were breaking forcefully against the shore, before ebbing away again. A quick scan of the beach confirmed that they were alone, and something about that fact that had excitement swelling up in Cyrus’ chest. 

They began to walk, giggling whenever they bumped into one another. 

“You know what song is great for this moment?” Cyrus asked him, drawing his phone from his pocket. 

TJ looked over his shoulder at the phone screen, laughing and raising an arm in surrender when Cyrus swatted him away. 

“I don’t know Cy, what song _is_ great for this moment?”

Cyrus smiled back up at him as he typed something into his phone. “The radio edit version of ‘Waves’ by Mr.Probz.” 

He pocketed his phone again after tapping play, allowing the lyrics to fill the air around them. TJ pulled him in again, and he leaned in close as they began to walk again. 

Silence stretched between them for a minute or so, before Cyrus spoke up. 

“What’s the deal with your dad?”

He hadn’t meant the question to sound so frank, but he supposed there was no going back on it now. TJ let out a sigh. 

“I mean - it’s just, your meeting with him seemed kind of...”

“Strained?” TJ finished, smiling bitterly. “Yeah. It was. I didn’t exactly mention this before, but the reason my parents split up is that my dad cheated on my mom. He left pretty suddenly, and my mom had to get another job on top of child support to keep things running. I generally try to avoid him while I’m here.” 

“Oh,” Cyrus breathed out, “I’m sorry. That sounds rough.” 

TJ nodded, kicking some sand up as he walked. “He’s also pretty homophobic. That’s why I don’t plan on coming out to him anytime soon...my mom’s cool though, which is what matters to me.” 

He came to a stop then, turning to face Cyrus. His hair was wind-swept, and a smile was tugging at his lips now.

“Let’s not think about that though. I’d much rather think about the boy in front of me.” 

“Oh,” Cyrus teased, stepping forward as he glanced around at their surroundings, “who’s that?”

With an affectionate eye roll, TJ craned his neck slightly, leaning down. Cyrus splayed his hands across the boy’s chest for balance and stood up on his tip-toes, mirroring TJ’s smile. 

“Nevermind. I think I found him,” he murmured, before bringing their lips together. 

~

“What are we?” 

The words had tumbled from his mouth before Cyrus could stop them, but he didn’t find himself regretting it as he looked over at TJ. He really _did_ want to know, after all.

It was the following day now, and a clear blue sky stretched above their heads as the group made their way to a pizza joint Marty had googled. TJ and Cyrus were slightly ahead of the others, hands brushing as they walked.

“I think...” TJ hesitated for a moment, letting out a breath, “I think we should stick with casual for now. We have a whole summer to figure things out.” 

Something about that response had an uneasy pit forming in Cyrus’ stomach, but he forced a smile and tried to push that feeling down. 

The small coastal town they were walking through, located a mere 10-minute walk from their resort, was quaint and relatively quiet apart from the occasional screaming child. They were making their way past rows and rows of varying storefronts, a majority of which appeared to have faded with time.

“Hey, look - they have a bowling alley! Maybe we should let Cyrus beat all of your asses!” TJ called, and Cyrus couldn’t help but laugh. 

“There is no way in _hell_ that he’d beat me!” Buffy called back, earning herself an affectionate eyeroll from Marty. 

They all ended up cramming themselves into the corner of the pizza joint right by the window, before Buffy let out an exasperated huff. “I think we should eat outside somewhere.”

Andi smiled at the group as she stood up. “Agreed, but we should probably order first. What do you guys want?” 

After much deliberation, they all eventually came to the collective agreement of one family sized vegetarian pizza and one family sized Hawaiian pizza. Andi went up to order, and TJ gave Cyrus a smile.

“You can sit on my lap if you want...you know, to save space.” 

Marty let out an annoyed scoff at that, while Buffy seemed to have a vague look of amusement on her face. With a fond eyeroll, Cyrus got up from his seat and moved over to where TJ was sat, freeing up space for Amber to sit without being so cramped. 

Cyrus leaned his head back against TJ’s chest, focusing on its rhythmic rise and fall as the boy wrapped his arms around him. He jolted slightly when TJ’s eyelashes fluttered against his neck, levelling the boy with an accusatory glare. 

“Asshole,” he mumbled playfully, before leaning back again, pulling a laugh from TJ. 

Andi returned after a minute or so, glancing around at the table before shrugging and sitting down on Amber’s lap. The girl just smiled faintly and pulled her in, pressing a kiss to her cheek. 

Marty and Buffy glanced awkwardly over at one another before pointedly returning to their phones, which Cyrus couldn’t help but sigh at. They’d been pining after one another for what felt like months, yet there always seemed to be an obstacle in the way of them getting together. At first, it had been Rachel, but now it seemed that both of them thought the other wasn’t interested, and Cyrus was hopelessly stuck in the middle of it all.

Fifteen minutes had passed by the time they heard someone call Andi’s name, during which TJ watched over Cyrus’ shoulder as he played one of the varying word games he had on his phone. 

“I reckon I could beat that level for you,” TJ told him as they exited through the glass door again, a bell chiming sharply their heads. 

Cyrus playfully bumped their shoulders together as they walked, laughing slightly. “Oh yeah? _Without_ cheating?” 

“Totally,” TJ confirmed, a smug smile on his lips.

“Go for it then. Have fun finding the ten letter word, though,” Cyrus replied, as he handed over his phone. 

The sun was beating down on them relentlessly now, and Cyrus pulled out the sunglasses he’d taken off inside and slid them on. They were wide, covering about a quarter of his face, and the brown hue they produced made it seem as though he was in a movie from the ’80s. They made Cyrus feel even _more_ so like he was caught up in a summer haze, with the cloudless sky above his head, the trees around them that swayed gently in the breeze, and the humid sea air pressing up against his skin.

Buffy took one look at him and let out a loud laugh, wrapping an arm around the boy’s shoulders as he walked. 

“You look like you have bug eyes!” 

The proclamation had Marty looking over too, a wide smile appearing on his lips as he took Cyrus in. “Okay, no offence Cy, but you really do. In a cute way though!” 

Cyrus scoffed. “How can one have _bug eyes_ in a cute way?” 

“By being Cyrus Goodman,” TJ interjected, not looking up from the phone. 

Cyrus just rolled his eyes at that, smiling fondly as he leaned into Buffy’s side. He could see the park they were headed to at the end of the street now, filled with towering trees.

“How’s the room for you guys?” he asked. 

“It’s good!” she smiled, “I mean - it’s the same as yours, except you and lover boy over there are sharing a bed.” 

Cyrus blushed slightly at that, knowing there was no point in denying anything between him and TJ with the way they were acting around one another. Marty gave him a look he couldn’t quite decipher, but the general implication seemed to be _‘remember what I told you.’_

He let out a small sigh, glancing over at the adorable look of concentration on TJ’s face as he tried to find the correct word. It was probably too late to heed Marty’s warning now, anyway.

The sun was still shining high in the sky by the time they finished their pizzas and threw out the boxes, wandering aimlessly about town in search of cool stores. Amber had called TJ over to look at a thrift store, and he was fairly certain that Marty and Buffy had found a surf store somewhere along the way too.

This left Cyrus alone with Andi. The ocean breeze had picked up by now, leaving both of their hair in disarray as their eyes scanned the various storefronts they walked passed. After a minute or two of relative silence, Cyrus desperately trying to think up a conversation topic, Andi let out an excited gasp. 

“They have a crafts store!” 

Cyrus looked to where Andi was fixated. It _was_ , in fact, a faded looking crafts store, with a wooden door that looked moments from caving in. He shrugged, smiling slightly as Andi took his hand and pulled him along. 

Soon enough they were stepped into a small space, filled with various isles of supplies. The girl turned to him, a bright smile on her lips. 

“Do you craft at all?” 

Cyrus wracked his brain for a moment, before smiling back uncertainly. “I do a lot of knitting. Does that count?” 

“Totally. You should come over to our room and knit with me,” she told him as they began to roam the isles. 

“That’d be great! I don’t think I’ve met anyone else my age that knits. Well I mean, I guess I’m basing that statement on Marty and Buffy only, but still.” 

Being a relatively common craft supply, the pair managed to locate the wool and the knitting sticks with relative ease. He could hear Andi humming to herself as they sifted through the various colours, reaching towards the back of the shelves to do so. 

“I wonder if TJ and Amber have found anything interesting,” Cyrus said absent-mindlessly. 

Andi laughed slightly at that. “I bet TJ’s busy trying to find something rainbow.” 

“That’s true,” Cyrus smiled fondly, shaking his head, “now that I think about it maybe we should get rainbow colours so we can make him a scarf or something.” 

“The sad thing is that TJ would totally wear a scarf to the beach just because it’s rainbow.” 

“He totally would!” Cyrus giggled. 

They looked at one another for a moment after that, wide smiles on their faces. 

“Why am I actually tempted now?” the girl asked, gaze shifting towards the shelves of wool. 

“Should we do it?” Cyrus asked her, eyes alight with laughter. 

“I think we should,” she nodded, bending down to re-examine the colours. 

That’s how the duo ended up re-emerging from the store about fifteen minutes later, a precarious pile of wool bundles in both of their arms. 

“We probably should’ve gotten bags,” Andi pointed out with with a laugh. 

“Yeah, probably,” Cyrus agreed, smiling as he followed the girl back inside. 

“I already like you about ten times more than the other boys TJ has dated!” Andi called over her shoulder. 

Cyrus felt his face grow warm at the word ‘dated.’ He hesitated for a moment, before just shrugging and letting it be. 

“Thanks!” he called back.

~

The air was filled with the sounds of waves crashing against the shore and screaming children, who were running wildly about the sand. Various coloured beach umbrellas scattered the beach to shield from the blazing sun, and Cyrus could feel the humid ocean air each time he inhaled, as well as sand, hot now in comparison to the other night, beneath his feet. 

TJ and Cyrus found themselves retreating to the ocean in an attempt to avoid some of the crowds. They set down their things, reapplying some more sunscreen before heading off. Marty and Buffy had run to the sea in an instant, surfboards tucked beneath their arms, while Amber and Andi lingered under the shade of their umbrella. 

Cyrus watched as TJ leapt in almost immediately, head disappearing beneath the water, before surfacing with a large gulp of air. He took a small step forward, allowing the tips of his toes to be lapped at by the ocean waves, before immediately backing away again with a jolt. 

_Holy shit that’s cold._

TJ straightened again a few metres away, with the water coming up to about his mid-waist. He rocked slightly with the waves as they rolled past, very nearly falling forward before regaining his balance. 

His gaze returned to Cyrus, who was still looking on uncertainly, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face.

“What’s that look for?” he asked him nervously, garnering no response.

He backed up slightly as TJ began to wade through the water again, headed straight towards shore. 

“TJ...” he smiled, trying for seriousness but failing abysmally. 

“Can I have a hug?” the boy asked innocently, a pout on his lips. 

“No!” Cyrus laughed, backing up until he could feel the sand beneath his feet becoming dry. 

TJ was out of the water now, and Cyrus let out a small shriek as he turned around, attempting to run away, but he felt a pair of arms encircle his waist before he could do so. 

“TJ!” he giggled, reaching up to try and pry his arms away. 

The boy just smiled though, lifting him up off the ground. TJ’s skin was warm, but it also happened to be wet, and Cyrus could already feel his rash shirt getting soaked.

TJ dropped him down again a metre or so from shore, and an immediate shock travelled through him as he was surrounded by freezing water. He let out an audible gasp, hands coming up instantly to rub up and down in attempt to warm himself slightly. 

“You’re an asshole!” he laughed, splashing the boy with water. 

The pair moved out further, splashing one and another as they went until Cyrus couldn’t feel the sand beneath his feet anymore. He swam over to TJ with a breathless laugh, wrapping his arms loosely around the boy’s neck. 

“Mind if I steal some body heat?” 

The boy gave Cyrus an affectionate smile, nodding and drawing him in closer. As he grew more and more used to the temperature of the water, it became dull background noise rather than a loud chorus of _‘holy shit!’_

For a few moments, he managed to tune out the loud shrieks of children back on shore, focusing instead on TJ and the undulating waves, gentler now that they’d swam out some. 

“Your eyes are kind of like this ocean, you know?” he said, voice soft. 

The boy smiled. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Cyrus breathed out, “they’re pretty.” 

“Thanks,” TJ murmured, head tipping up slightly.

Cyrus leaned down then to connect their lips, wrapping his legs around TJ’s waist, but he pulled away after a few seconds with a laugh.

“Sorry. Marty just fell off his board.” 

TJ snorted at that, letting go of his grip on Cyrus momentarily so he could turn around. They both caught Buffy tumbling down into the water with a splash, board flipping over in the process, and neither of them could contain their laughter. 

“Running is not the same this as surfing, apparently. Who knew?” TJ mused. 

The pair stayed in the water for a bit longer after that, before returning to shore and joining in on the make-shift game of beachball Andi seemed to have started. 

The warmth of their hotel room had relief flooding Cyrus’ system as they walked in a few hours later, and he let out a content sigh as he made his way over to the bathroom.

“I’m having a shower!” he called. 

“Okay! Can I play that word game on your phone then?” 

Cyrus rolled his eyes at that, looking back at TJ through the door he’d just been about to close. “Yes!” 

He made quick work of showering and changing into dry clothes, finally rid of the sand that had been sticking incessantly to his skin as he emerged about 10 minutes later. The sun was setting through the window, painting the sky with an array of pinks and reds as he flopped down onto the bed beside TJ. He felt some of the tension he’d carried throughout the day seep from his muscles as he lay there for a moment or two, pressing his face down into the cool, silk-like pillows. 

TJ gave him an absent-minded pat on the back, eyes still fixated on the phone screen. Cyrus started slightly at the sound of their door being swung open, lifting his head to find Andi standing in their doorway with a smile. He immediately perked up, pushing himself up into a sitting position. 

“Knitting?” he asked her. 

“If you want,” she nodded, and Cyrus was up in an instant, crossing the room. 

He glanced back at TJ, who had a pout forming on his lips. “Can I come?” 

“Nope! The only boy allowed in is Cyrus,” Andi told him smugly. 

He threw TJ a smile as Andi took his head, tugging him out of the room. “Buffy and Marty are probably free!” he called out.

Andi and Amber’s room looked practically identical to theirs, with the same white walls and bedcovers, but the clothes strewn about the place were different. There was a lingering scent of flowery perfume in the air too, in contrast to cologne. He settled down on the floor by the window, watching for a moment as the sun neared the horizon. Andi dumped an arm-full of knitting supplies down in front of him, sitting down across from him a smile. 

“Okay - so do we know what order the colours in a rainbow are?” he asked her, eyes scanning briefly over their selection. 

Andi thought about it for a moment, before shaking her head. “No idea. I feel like that’s something I should know, but oh well. I’ll look it up!” 

The duo set to work from there, with Amber providing occasional commentary from the bed on whatever topic came up. The light outside faded rapidly as they worked, until eventually, stars began to dot the pitch black sky.

Their conversation had begun to lull after about two hours when Amber suddenly piped up. 

“What’s the deal with Marty and Buffy, by the way? They’re dating, right?” 

“Don’t even get me started,” Cyrus warned, earning himself a laugh from the girls. “And by that I mean _absolutely_ get me started because I have no one to talk to about this,” he added, fingers skimming over the various colours of wool they had. 

“Basically, they’ve always been good friends and I don’t think there were feelings there until recently. Marty had a fling with someone last summer which he _still_ won’t tell us the name of, but basically, we thought he was into that person for a bit. It died pretty quickly though, and then a couple of months ago he started dating Rachel.” 

“Ah, it was a Rachel. I’ve never had a good experience with Rachels,” Amber said, nodding wisely. 

“Don’t you literally have a friend named Rachel?” Andi asked, amused. 

“All except that one,” she clarified, which had Andi letting out a fond-sounding huff. “But anyway - please continue!” 

Cyrus did so with a smile. “Rachel was...well...not a fan of Marty being around Buffy because she thought there was something there. Which there _was_ in my professional opinion because they both seemed to like one another. But we won’t go there.” 

“I thought that kind of stuff only happens with lesbians,” Amber laughed, “this has proven my hypothesis that straight people are just as oblivious. They literally look at one another like they’re in love!” 

“I know!” Cyrus exclaimed, glancing up from his knitting with a smile. “Anyways, Marty broke up with Rachel after a few weeks. Then, after denying it for a while, he admitted to me that he likes Buffy. Then Buffy literally admitted a day later that she liked him too, but I couldn’t do anything because friend to friend confidentiality!” 

Andi let out a sigh at that, giving the boy a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “That’s rough.” 

“Wait a second,” Amber interjected, shuffling over to the corner of the bed, “Technically _I’m_ not bound by friend to friend confidentially, right? Maybe I should leave Marty a note. Something like ‘I know this is an anonymous note and you have no reason to trust it but Buffy likes you so please do something about it!’” 

Cyrus couldn’t help but laugh at that. “That might sound too much like me.”

Amber let out a sigh. “Yeah. You’re right. At least your suffering is shared now though, right?”

“That’s very true,” he agreed, smiling.

It was about 10 pm by the time Cyrus slipped back into his room, clicking his tongue in disapproval as he approached TJ. 

“Still playing?” 

The boy looked up in alarm at that, face illuminated by pale light emanating from the phone screen.

“Pft, of course not,” he replied, betraying himself almost immediately by glancing down at the screen again.

Cyrus laughed softly, gently kicking his shoes off and padding over towards the bed. He shuffled towards the boy, taking the phone from his grip with a smile.

“Too much screentime could damage your eyes, you know?” 

It was dark in the room, but Cyrus could still make out the mischievous smile that appeared on TJ’s lips.

“Have any idea about what I should be doing instead, then?”

“Yeah, actually. Kissing me,” Cyrus responded, slightly taken aback by his own forwardness.

He rolled with it though, taking in a breath as he met TJ’s steady gaze with his own. The boy smiled after a moment, leaning forward to cup the side of his face and connect their lips. 

~

“So...you and TJ?” 

Cyrus straightened at that, heart beating wildly in his chest he looked to Marty. A few days had passed now, and they’d spent a majority of them at the beach so they collectively decided to make that day a rest day. 

He was sitting with Marty and Buffy in their room, sunlight pouring in through the window and warming the bedsheets. 

Cyrus looked to Buffy, who couldn’t seem to meet his eye for once, before focusing his attention back on Marty. 

He cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. We have a...thing...I guess.” 

Marty bit his lip. “What happened to ‘just friends’?”

“I don’t know,” Cyrus admitted softly. 

The boy shifted, glancing wearily over at Buffy as he shuffled closer to Cyrus. The tension that had appeared in the air all of a sudden was palpable, and Cyrus found himself fidgeting nervously with the hem of his shirt.

“Cyrus,” Marty began, tone pleading now, “I know everything seems great right now but...he might hurt you. In fact - there’s a high chance he _will_ hurt you.” 

Cyrus looked down at his hands, unable to look him in the eye any longer. 

“But he’s just so...I don’t know! I couldn’t help it! _You_ try resisting that smile,” he said desperately, knowing well that he was deflecting. He really didn’t know what else to say for himself, after all.

Marty took in a deep breath at that, looking towards the wall behind Cyrus as though collecting himself. 

Cyrus’ eyebrows furrowed slightly with concern. “Is something wrong?” he asked, hesitant. 

Marty forced a smile onto his lips. “No! I’m fine. It’s just...I don’t wanna see you get hurt, Cy. You know what TJ’s like as well as I do, and you _know_ the way this’ll end.” 

Cyrus looked over to Buffy, who looking on sadly. “Is this what you think too?“

She pressed her lips together, before giving him a quick nod. “I’m sorry Cyrus, but you can’t deny the trend.” 

He drew in a deep breath, before exhaling again and getting up from the bed. An ache filled his chest as he looked back at his friends. He knew deep down that they were right, but he was nowhere near ready to accept that at the moment. 

“I know he’s had a few flings, but that doesn’t mean this can’t work out,” he said icily, before opening the door and stepping out. 

This time, a startled yelp _did_ end up escaping him as he came face-to-face with TJ. The boy’s face lit up with a smile. 

“Cyrus! I was just gonna ask if you wanted to hang out for a bit.” 

He glanced back at Marty, who seemed to be looking anywhere but him, before closing the door behind him with a gentle thud and redirecting his focus towards TJ. 

“Totally!” he smiled, wrapping an arm around the boy’s waist. 

The pair toed off their shoes as they entered their room, and TJ immediately ran over to collapse down on the bed. Cyrus lingered by the door for a moment, smiling uncertainly. His mood at that moment was a serious contrast to the bright weather outside, where sunlit clouds were drifting peacefully across the clear blue sky. He let out a small sigh, and TJ began to frown. 

“Is something wrong?” he asked, propping his head up on a pillow. 

“No, I’m just...having an off day,” he smiled, unconvincingly. 

TJ patted the space beside him, and Cyrus walked over hesitantly to lower himself down onto the bed. 

“I have something that might make you feel better,” he murmured, reaching down towards the side of the bed. 

Cyrus watched, a confused smile on his lips, as TJ brought out a pair of white, fluffy robes. 

“Taa-daa!” 

He couldn’t help but laugh slightly as he accepted one of the robes.

“Where’d you get these from?” 

“My dad,” he said with a wince, “but, hey - they’re soft!” 

“They are,” Cyrus agreed as he shrugged the robe on. The cotton was light against his skin, and somehow it _did_ manage to make him feel somewhat better. Or maybe that was just TJ. Either way, he was grateful. 

“I’ve ordered room service for some ice cream sundaes, by the way,” said TJ, and Cyrus’ eyes widened for a moment.

“Okay. I’m officially cheered up.” 

“I thought that would help,” TJ laughed, rolling over to face the boy. 

He trailed his fingers absent-mindedly along Cyrus’ arm for a moment, gaze flickering up to meet his. 

“So...” Cyrus blushed slightly, shuffling closer, “what do we do until the sundaes come?” 

TJ gave him a roguish smile at that, leaning forward until there was a barely-there gap between their faces. Cyrus took in a shuddering breath, bringing a hand up to rest on the boy’s waist.

“I think...” TJ whispered, pausing for a moment, “we should play air hockey on my phone.” 

He leaned back with a laugh, and Cyrus gave him a playful smack on the arm. 

“TJ!” he complained, wrapping his arms around the boy. 

“ _Sorry_ , but I mean come on, it’s air hockey!” 

Cyrus lifted his head from TJ’s chest, reaching up to give the boy an affectionate tap on the nose.

“How about one game, then a kiss?” he proposed. 

TJ laughed. “Okay. I can do that.” 

~

“Don’t cause any trouble, okay?” Cyrus murmured, hands smoothing up TJ’s chest before resting on his shoulders.

TJ smiled. “It’s a few hours, babe. How much trouble can I cause? I think it’s _him_ you should be worried about,” he replied, nodding his head pointedly in Marty’s direction. 

Cyrus barely registered anything apart from the word _‘babe’_ in that sentence embarrassingly enough, and he could feel his face growing warm as he stepped away from the boy.

They were stood together in the lobby, slightly separated from the group, after the girl’s had announced that morning they were having a ‘girl’s day’ at the beach. Cyrus, who genuinely would’ve rather done physical activity than stay around with TJ and Marty when there seemed to be so much one-sided tension between them, immediately asked them if he could come along. 

“Well _duh_ , that’s a given,” Andi had told him with a bright smile.

It was a breezy summers day, and the sun was raised high in the sky. Trees rustled slightly in the wind, and blinding sunlight was beating down on their resort as usual. 

TJ handed him a small bottle of sunscreen, pressing one last kiss to his cheek, before reluctantly letting go of him. 

“I’ll be back in a few hours!” Cyrus called back, giggling slightly at the pout forming on his lips. 

Andi wrapped an arm around his shoulders then, guiding him towards the glass sliding doors. “First thing on the agenda - get our nails done!” 

Amber, who’d been chatting animatedly to Buffy, called out a “hell yeah!” in response, and Cyrus couldn’t help but smile. 

“I’m kind of glad that I’m not seeing TJ for a bit. I mean - he’s cool, but that boy is way too charming for his own good sometimes,” he told her. 

Andi gave an affectionate eye roll as they made their along the beach, headed towards the small coastal town they’d visited the other day.

“Tell me about it. At least you’re reasonable though! When you put TJ and I together you get a whole bunch of chaotic gay energy. Add Amber into the mix and that’s how you end up running down a main street at 3 am with a Walmart trolley and a sign that says ‘gay rights!’

Cyrus laughed slightly at that, lowering his sunglasses. “Did you guys really do that?” 

“In an ideal world...no,” she responded, which had both of them giggling.

The nail salon was a cool contrast to the heat outside, with the salty ocean breeze only gusting in occasional when the doors slid open. Cyrus ended up getting his nails painted blue, while Andi went for pink, Buffy went for purple, and Amber went for rainbow (they had to wait about half an hour for her to be finished.)

It was about 6 pm when Cyrus approached his room, a content smile on his lips. Through the window he could see the sun setting, with a few thin strips of clouds on the horizon turned a shimmering gold. 

He was ready to throw the door open in attempt to startle TJ, but what he ended up doing was freezing in his tracks. 

There was shouting, seeping right through the cracks of the door. He glanced about the hallway nervously, heart racing, then pressed his face against the cool wooden surface. The voices were muffled slightly, but Cyrus could still make them out. 

“So what, you’re gonna let our little fling from last summer get in the way of me dating Cyrus?!”

Cyrus’ eyes widened. He felt some of the colour drain from his face as he shot a few more nervous glances in both directions.

“That’s not what I-“

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous, Marty.”

Holy fuck. _Holy fuck._

 _TJ_ was the person Marty had that fling with. How did Cyrus not realise that sooner? Then again, TJ _did_ seem to act as though he’d never even talked to Marty, let alone share any sort of past relationship with him.

He pressed his face closer, not wanting to miss a word.

“I’m really not. I like someone now, and it’s _not_ you.”

Cyrus heard a soft thud then, and he could only assume someone had sat on the bed.

“Then what is this even _about?_ ” TJ asked him, seeming exasperated. 

“It's about you hurting Cyrus like you hurt everyone you start dating!”

_No. No. No. No._

Cyrus almost felt inclined to lean away then, because he had a feeling that his fragile illusion about his relationship with TJ would come crashing down all at once if he didn’t. He took in a deep breath instead though, leaning in closer to cling onto every word.

“Are you saying I hurt you? We both knew what we were getting into, dude. It was a fling!” TJ said, voice rising with each second that passed.

Cyrus could practically _feel_ the tension in the room seeping out through the walls, and he found himself shifting nervously under the weight of it. 

“Cyrus isn’t me, okay? He’s different! It didn’t matter to me, but it might to him.”

“Wow, thanks for enlightening me. I had no _idea_ that Cyrus was different to you.” 

“Look - does he know it’s just a fling or not?” Marty asked him with a sigh.

“Of course he does,” TJ scoffed, “we both do.”

Cyrus swallowed thickly at that, feeling his heart sink down in his chest. He really _didn’t_ wanna listen anymore, but curiosity kept him rooted to the carpet beneath his feet. 

“So he’s _definitely_ not under the impression you guys are in an actual relationship? Or one that’ll get more serious when summer ends?” Marty asked him, tone disbelieving. 

“No, dude. It’s just fun. He knew that from the start. Now can you please get out of my room?” 

Cyrus moved frantically at those words, rushing down the hallway before turning back around. He began walking when he saw the door swing open, trying his hardest to force a casual smile onto his lips as he approached Marty.

The boy’s eyes were sad when they landed on him, swimming with pity. Cyrus felt sick. 

“Hey, Cy. Did you have fun?” 

He smiled. “Yeah! It was nice.” 

Marty nodded, lingering there for a moment. He opened his mouth to say something, before closing it again with a tight smile.

“I like your nails.”

Cyrus felt his stomach twist. “Thanks! I’m uh...I’m kinda tired so I’m probably gonna retire for the night.” 

Marty nodded again. “I’ll see you in the morning.” 

He walked towards the door again, stopping after a few seconds when Marty called out to him again. He gave the boy a questioning look as he turned around.

“Um...feel free to talk to me anytime, okay? I won’t get mad, no matter what it is.” 

Cyrus swallowed down the lump in his throat, before offering the boy a weak smile. “Thanks.” 

_Why did it hurt so much to be made aware of something he’d known all along?_

_He knew TJ’s track record. He knew this had happened to countless boys before him. So why had he fallen for it so easily?_

He knew the answer deep down was that Cyrus thought he deserved it. People would always leave after all, and he supposed that if TJ dumped him then he could say it wasn’t necessarily his fault. It wouldn’t be that he was too boring, or annoying, or clingy, it would just be that TJ was opposed to committed relationships.

Falling as much as he had was never in the plans, but here he was, on the verge of _tears_ because TJ had simply confirmed something he didn’t want to believe but had known since the start. 

Cyrus walked back into the hotel room with a heavy heart, slipping into the bathroom to quickly brush his teeth, before collapsing down onto the bed without a word to TJ.

The boy’s eyes followed him as he did so, looking worried. 

“You don’t want dinner?” he asked softly, placing a gentle hand on his back. 

Cyrus shook his head. “Don’t feel like it.” 

TJ looked as though he wanted to say something more, but he ended up refraining and pulling his hand away again. 

~

It was after a day went by of ignoring TJ entirely that the boy finally confronted him about it. It was dark outside, with the sun having set a half hour earlier. Stars speckled the pitch black sky, and moonlight was the only thing to illuminate TJ’s face as he stood by the bed, facing away from the window.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cyrus said, softly, before turning around. 

He heard footsteps against the carpet behind him, and TJ placed a gentle hand on his arm, spinning him back around. 

“Except - you do. You’ve been avoiding me.” 

Cyrus turned his gaze to the night sky yet again, inhaling sharply as he felt TJ’s hand come up to rest on his shoulder. 

“Come on,” the boy murmured, stepping closer, “just tell me what’s wrong.” 

“It’s stupid,” he murmured back, voice thick with tears already. 

TJ shook his head. “Not if it’s upsetting you.” 

He looked down at the ground, taking a step back away from TJ. 

“I overheard you talking to Marty last night,” he mumbled, so quietly he was afraid TJ hadn’t heard it. 

He had. 

“Cyrus...” 

Cyrus let out a trembling breath. “When...when you said we had the whole summer to figure things out, I thought you meant that eventually we’d be something more! I know it’s dumb, and I was just getting my hopes up, but...”

TJ averted his gaze, hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie now. Cyrus looked at him desperately for a moment, silently begging him to say something contradictory to what he had told Marty. But he didn’t. So Cyrus continued with a sad sigh. 

“Whatever. Just - tell me this. Was the only thing you liked about me the fact that you thought I was cute?”

TJ shook his head. “Cyrus...of course not. I like so much about you.” 

Cyrus smiled bitterly and nodded, not believing the words for a second.

“TJ...when we first started talking, you have no idea how hard it was for me to hold off. You’re charming, and you’re sweet, and you’re cute, and...I can see why people fall for it. I’ve heard so much shit about you. My own _friends_ warned me about you. But I was an idiot and I thought this might be special, and if it wasn’t then...then I’d deserve it if you left. But with the way you were talking about me to Marty...I just...I can’t do this if it’s just going to be a fling for this summer. I thought I could, but I can’t. I’m sorry.” 

Shock was written all over TJ’s face now. He lingered there for a moment or two, looking desperately book at Cyrus, before looking away and nodding. 

He left without a word, the door slamming shut behind him, and the only thing that remained of him was the lingering scent of his cologne. Cyrus swallowed down the lump in his throat and threw himself down onto the bed, burying his head in his hands. 

Somewhere along the line Cyrus’ crying must’ve knocked him out, because he was awoken a few hours later by his ringtone reverberating loudly off the walls. He let out a groan as he sat up, blindly reaching to decline the call, but he must’ve hit the wrong button because suddenly Amber’s panicked voice was flooding the room. 

“Cyrus! Did something happen between you and TJ? He’s in our room and I’m pretty sure he’s drunk. He keeps telling us that he can’t see you for some reason, and that he went to a club? We can’t figure out why.” 

Cyrus let out a heavy sigh, taking a moment to run a hand through his hair. He reluctantly leaned over to pick up his phone. 

“Send him over,” he told her, voice still heavy with sleep.

“You sure?” she asked, “he’s pretty out of it.” 

“Yeah. I’m sure.” 

Cyrus heard loud, unsteady-sounding footfalls outside, followed by a sharp knock on the door. He let out another sigh as he lifted himself up from his bed and padded across the room, opening the door. 

TJ was stood there, somehow managing to look agonisingly good despite being drunk. His hair was in disarray, his eyes seemed glazed over and Cyrus could see what looked to be a stain on his white shirt, but he _still_ seemed to maintain that dazzling smile he always wore.

“You’re such an idiot,” he mumbled, gently tugging the boy inside. 

“I just...” TJ paused for a moment, stifling a yawn, “wanted to have some fun. And not think about...” he trailed off, and Cyrus shook his head. 

“Let’s get you into the shower, okay?” he said gently, guiding the boy over to the bathroom door.

He selected a random combination of clothes from TJ’s suitcase, before walking back over and holding them out. 

“I’ll be right outside if you need me, okay? Just call.” 

He gave a clumsy nod before entering the bathroom, leaving a small crack in the door. Cyrus turned away, taking his phone from his pocket. 

_12 am_.

Cyrus spent the next few minutes taking in the stars outside, from the brighter ones, to the ones that seemed to flicker in and out of view. 

_Had TJ really gotten drunk at some random club so he didn’t have to think about him?_

The thought only added to the dull ache filling his chest, so he quickly pushed it down again to deal with some other time. 

TJ emerged from the bathroom after another few minutes, looking okay apart from the shirt he was wearing inside out. 

Cyrus bit back a smile. “You have your shirt on inside-out.” 

The boy shrugged, stifling another yawn with his hand. “S’okay.” 

He shook his head though, taking a step forward. “Can I help you fix it?” 

“I guess.” 

“Okay. Can you raise your arms?” he asked softly. 

With minimal difficulty, he was able to pull the shirt over TJ’s head and pull it back over, the right way around this time. 

“Great! It’s bedtime now,” Cyrus told him, guiding him gently over to the bed. 

TJ climbed under the covers with little complaint, and as Cyrus tucked him in he couldn’t help give his nose an affectionate tap. 

“Go to sleep now, okay?” he murmured. 

The boy yawned. “Okay...I’m sorry.” 

Cyrus’ heart leapt at that. He turned back around, tempting to ask what he was sorry for, but he bit his lip instead and rummaged around his suitcase for some aspirin to leave on the bedside table. 

~ 

As the sun began to climb the sky, rising in a pool of reds and oranges, Cyrus tip-toed his way out of their room and knocked gently upon Marty and Buffy’s door. He’d struggled to sleep for a majority of the night, wanting more than anything to talk to his friends but feeling as though he should hold off until morning. 

It was 7 am now, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could wait. Golden sunlight was spilling in through the windows, and he could already tell it was going to be another clear day. He felt somewhat guilty about weighing down their morning with his mistakes, but it wasn’t enough to prevent him from knocking.

It took a few long moments, but soon enough the door was swinging open and Buffy was stood there, looking bleary-eyed. 

“Cyrus?” she mumbled, eyebrows furrowed slightly in vague confusion. 

Cyrus didn’t say anything. Before he could stop himself he was practically falling forward into the girl’s arms, hugging her tightly. Buffy hugged him back, an uncertain smile on her lips as they pulled away. 

“Is something wrong?” she asked him, sounding more awake now. 

“No,” he said with a sigh, “it’s just me...being stupid like always.” 

Buffy gave him a sympathetic look as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. The pair settled down on her bed, which looked like a smaller version of the bed Cyrus and TJ were sharing.

“Is this about TJ?” Marty piped up suddenly, stirring slightly.

Cyrus looked down at the bedcovers at that, trailing his fingers absent-mindedly along the varying patterns. “Yeah. Please don’t say ‘I told you so.’”

“I’ll refrain,” he mumbled, voice still heavy with sleep as he sat up. 

“What’s going on with him?” Buffy asked, placing a gentle on his arm. 

“Well...I heard him having that conversation with you,” he admitted quietly, directing the words at Marty. 

The boy’s face visibly fell. “Fuck. I’m sorry.” 

Cyrus waved him off. “I was bound to hear it eventually, anyway.” 

Buffy looked between them for a moment, looking confused. “What did TJ say?” 

“That what we had was just a fling, that I knew it was just fun from the start, that we both knew it wouldn’t last, among other things,” Cyrus told her, a bitter smile making its way onto his face.

She winced slightly. “Oh. That sucks.” 

“I saw it coming. I mean - I don’t think I even have the right to be upset honestly, I just thought that maybe...we were different. It was dumb,” Cyrus took a steadying breath, offering his friends a weak smile, “I probably deserved it, anyway. 

Buffy shook her head at that, placing her other hand on Cyrus’ arms too now. “Hey - it’s okay to be hopeful, Cy. You deserve happiness. Nothing less.” 

“I guess...I just don’t know what to do,” he groaned, burying his face in his heads. 

“Give him a few days,” Marty spoke up, which had Cyrus lifting his head again in shock. “If he doesn’t come begging to have you back, for real this time, then it’s probably worth ending things for good.”

“And until then?” he asked softly.

Buffy smiled. “We’ll go to the pool!” 

“Okay - I’m not opposed to that,” he smiled, standing up from the bed, “let me just grab my stuff first.” 

He made his way over the door, pausing as his hand hovered over the handle. 

“Thanks, guys,” he said, offering them a timid smile. 

“No problem. We love you, okay?” Marty responded. 

Buffy nodded in agreement, giving him a smile as he left the room.

The sun was on the verge of setting when Cyrus finally returned to his room again, hair still slightly damp from the pool. The trio had decided on getting icecreams on the beach, finding a relatively empty space near a jagged stretch of rocks to sit by and watch the waves as they crashed down against them. He still felt the salty ocean air sticking to him as he entered the room, dumping his bag down on the ground beside his bed. 

After having a quick shower and changing into drier, more comfortable clothes, Cyrus dropped down onto the bed and took a few moments to observe the sky, darkened now as the sun reached the horizon. He plugged in a pair of earphones and focused on his word game, trying hard to drown out his surroundings for the time being. 

Even through the pop song he was blasting, Cyrus heard the door being hesitantly pushed open about ten minutes later, and he felt his heart sinking all over again. He paused his music, gaze meeting TJ’s as the boy stepped inside and closed the door behind him with a thud.

They looked at one another for a moment, as though both waiting for the other to speak. Cyrus definitely wasn’t going to be the first to break this time though, so kept his mouth shut. The only sounds to fill the air for a moment were the crashing waves outside, accompanied by the sounds of chatter seeping in through the walls beside them. TJ sighed eventually, walking forward to sit down stiffly on the edge of the bed. 

“I know you’re probably mad,” he said, “but...can you hear me out?”

Cyrus swallowed. “I’m not mad, but sure.” 

TJ turned around to face him, bringing his legs up onto the bed. Cyrus pulled his earphones out fully, placing his phone down beside him. 

“At first it was hard for me to understand why you were upset, but Andi and Amber just made me realise that I’m kind of an idiot.”

A small smile appeared on Cyrus’ face.

“I didn’t just think you were cute, Cyrus. Even though you are. You’re also kind, and somehow you manage to see the best in people. Including me. You took care of me last night when you didn’t have to; when you _shouldn’t_ have even, after overhearing what I said to Marty. You’refunny, and you’re smart, but you also underestimate yourself so much I can’t believe it sometimes.” 

Cyrus looked down at his lap at that, fidgeting nervously with the blanket that covered him.

TJ continued, softer now. “I love being around you more than anyone else and at first that was confusing for me because I haven’t really felt that way about anyone before,” he stopped again for a moment to take a breath, eyes scanning over Cyrus’ face to gauge the boy’s reaction. 

Silence fell for a moment. Cyrus’ stomach was doing somersaults now, except this time it was because of the happiness swelling up inside of him. He was unable to fight back a smile now as he looked across at the boy, and this had a smile growing on TJ’s face too. 

“So...” he trailed off, blushing slightly, “what does this mean?” 

TJ shuffled closer to him on the bed. “I don’t know a lot about serious relationships, but...” he paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, “I really _do_ wanna try though, because I want something more. If you do too, of course.” 

Cyrus straightened at that, unable to keep the bright smile off his lips. “I do.” 

“Did we just get married, or what?” TJ teased, leaning forward further until there were only inches left between them. 

He giggled at that, looping his arms around the boy’s neck. “Maybe.”

“Hm...what happens again after we say ‘I do?’” TJ murmured, eyes flicking down to Cyrus’ lips. 

“This,” Cyrus smiled, before leaning in to connect their lips.

~

Andi and Cyrus stood back for a moment, giggling as they admired their work. 

“Board shirts and a rainbow scarf. I don’t think you’ve ever looked so ridiculous on a beach before, TJ,” Andi teased.

TJ just let out a huff through, tossing his scarf dramatically over his shoulder. “I think I’m gonna start a trend.” 

“You still look cute babe,” Cyrus assured him, before letting out a laugh right after that contradicted his words. 

The boy blew him a kiss, which he pretended to catch with a fond smile. 

“Now - where’s Amber? I have to go throw wet sand at her, it’s a tradition,” he said, before walking off to find the girl. 

Marty and Buffy approached the pair with smiles on their faces, surfboards tucked under their arms. The sun was out as it always was, beating down relentlessly, and Cyrus lowered his sunglasses in an attempt to shield his eyes from it.

“Are you guys gonna give surfing another go, then?” Andi asked them, raising an eyebrow. 

“We’ll sure as hell try,” Marty laughed. 

“Okay, well I should probably go try save Amber. See you guys!” 

Cyrus gave the girl a wave as she jogged off, before turning to his friends. 

“So are you and TJ a real thing now?” Buffy asked him. 

“Yeah,” he nodded, biting back a smile.

“Well, if you’re happy then we’re happy,” Marty said, giving him a playful pat on the head. 

Cyrus heard a squeal that sounded suspiciously like it came from TJ, and he turned around to find him in the midst of a war with Andi and Amber by shore, wet sand flying everywhere. 

“You really like him, huh?” Buffy asked, voice soft. 

He turned back to them and smiled. “Yeah. I do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THAT'S IT omg I swear I was planning this like 4 days ago and now it's done. I hope you guys liked reading it as much as I liked writing it!!
> 
> As always, kudos/comments are appreciated if you liked it <3

**Author's Note:**

> Part two should be up within the next few days!!
> 
> Kudos/comments are appreciated if you liked this part <3


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